The Hill: Our skilled labor shortage is a national security threat

Last month, the Navy canceled a planned restoration of the USS Boise, a Los Angeles class attack submarine, citing the need to free up “scarce shipyard labor and engineering talent.” According to the White House, this labor shortage will likely get worse over the next decade, with the annual shortage of skilled tradesmen expected to rise to “close to half a million — and grow as the years go by.”

This should be alarming. For years, leaders in government, finance and the military have warned that the shortage in skilled trades posed an acute threat to our nation’s economic prosperity and national security. Yet, Congress’s response has consistently missed the mark.

That’s because very few policymakers who are seeking to solve this problem have firsthand experience working blue collar jobs. The proposed solutions often fall short in addressing the very real hurdles Americans face when trying to enter the trades or open a trades-related business, including start-up costs that can exceed $100,000. The cost is simply too high.

That’s exactly why I introduced the Jumpstart Savings Act — legislation that would create tax-advantaged savings accounts for tools and equipment, modeled after 529 college savings plans — because I experienced this problem firsthand.

Roughly 20 years ago, after graduating high school in West Virginia, I became a welder on a mining operation. After nearly a decade, I wanted to branch out and start my own business. But between a work truck, industrial welding equipment, and liability insurance, the costs were too daunting. I walked away from the trade entirely.

My story isn’t unusual. In 2024, a DeWalt survey found that 78 percent of tradesmen believe that “the initial buy-in cost of tools, which can range from several thousands to upwards of $10,000, was a barrier to getting started in their career.” More than half had to save up or take out a loan to purchase these tools. The same survey found that 88 percent of Americans in the trades believe that “easier access to necessary tools would attract more workers to the construction industry.”

This common experience shows that our skilled trades pipeline has a “last mile problem” — the final leg of a journey that is often the most difficult and expensive part of the whole system. We have a strong menu of policy options to help people get training, and we have plenty of resources to support them through that training, but what workers need now are the tools and equipment to use that training on the job site.

The Jumpstart Act solves that problem by ensuring workers can save to pay for these costs most immediately associated with their on-the-job work. 

Passing the bill, however, will require legislators to support America’s workforce in a different way than in recent decades. Congress’s efforts to support the skilled trades have largely been limited to supporting trade schools and increasing access to training programs. For example, the Perkins Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act both invest meaningfully in workforce training.

More recently, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which I proudly voted for, allowed individuals to use 529 accounts to pay for trade and vocational schools, as well as, certifying and licensing costs.

Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code allows businesses to write off the full price of certain equipment, but this doesn’t help people who are just getting started in the trades. Jumpstart is different precisely because it provides a tax-advantaged way to save for tools before you’re ready to start a business.

This is the logical next step to support America’s skilled workforce, and momentum is building to pass it. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) is the bill’s bipartisan co-sponsor, and a dozen members of Congress are co-sponsoring the bill. Trade organizations such as the American Cement Association, which represents more than 90 percent of U.S. cement production, have issued a letter of support, calling the Jumpstart Act a “valuable new tool.” 

Television personality Mike Rowe, who has spent decades advocating for skilled labor in America, said the bill was such a good idea that it “agitated” him that anyone might oppose it. We have endorsements from both labor unions and right to work organizations, making this bill a rare point of common ground.

The best part about the bill is that there is already a state program to base it on. When I was State Treasurer in West Virginia, my experience as a welder inspired me to create this program at the state level, and it is already benefiting some West Virginians. 

One mother from my district, Shana, opened an account shortly after the program was established for her two sons, Clay and Quade, in hopes that one day they can start a trades business. Clay is a senior graduating this year who hopes to join law enforcement. His brother Quade wants to enter the workforce upon graduating and eventually become a diesel mechanic. With the right tools, he will. And thanks to the Jumpstart Savings Program, that will be a little easier.

Washington rarely considers the next generation of America’s skilled workforce when making national security policy. The USS Boise is evidence of the price we pay for doing so. It is time for our country to prioritize addressing the skilled labor shortage. That starts with passing the Jumpstart Savings Act to equip America’s workers with the tools they need.

Riley M. Moore represents West Virginia’s 2nd District in Congress and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.