On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the creation of a new training program for America’s engineering and technical talent – dubbed “Foundry School” – as part of a larger attempt to rebuild domestic manufacturing.
“President Trump’s reindustrialization agenda has already brought trillions of dollars in industrial investment to American soil. Foundry School will focus on turning that investment into jobs. American manufacturers will need an estimated 3.8 million skilled workers by 2033 in semiconductors, defense, energy, and beyond.
The State Department, working with Congress, plans to support the participation of Pax Silica economies in Foundry School and is working with Stanford University to develop the curriculum for U.S. and foreign participants,” the State Department said in its announcement of the initiative.
8 US universities will serve as the campuses for Foundry School, with participants for the program drawn from both the US and Pax Silica countries. Sessions will begin in September 2026 in seven universities across America focusing on modern factory design, materials and supply chains, regulations, workforce development and assembly line engineering.
