This article looks at how an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-focused apprenticeship program helped participants build in-demand skills and move into employment. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), this resource can show how apprenticeships can open doors to emerging, higher-paying fields, not just traditional trades. TANF practitioners can use this to explore how “earn while you learn” models can work even in technical areas like AI, helping participants gain skills while receiving income. It addresses a growing gap between available jobs and worker skills and gives programming ideas for connecting clients to career paths that offer long-term growth and stability.

This initiative by the Department of Labor introduces artificial intelligence (AI) skills into apprenticeship programs, reflecting how jobs are changing across industries. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, this is important because it highlights the need to prepare participants not just for today’s jobs, but for jobs of the future. TANF practitioners can use this resource to incorporate digital and technical skill-building into employment plans, even for participants entering trades or non-traditional tech roles. It helps bridge a growing skills gap and gives TANF clients exposure to tools and knowledge that can increase their competitiveness and earning potential over time.

This Department of Labor guidance focuses on expanding registered apprenticeships by making them easier to start and more accessible to both employers and participants. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants, apprenticeships can be a powerful tool because they combine paid work with hands-on learning—something many participants need but may not know exists. This resource helps TANF programs identify ways to partner with employers or workforce agencies to bring these opportunities to TANF clients. It addresses the gap between training and employment by offering a model where participants can earn while they learn, which can improve engagement and retention.

This factsheet overviews the Executive Order by the Trump-Vance Administration to protect and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships. It breaks down changes required for workforce programs in order to make training faster, more flexible, and more connected to the economy’s needs.

This Executive Order (EO) by the Trump-Vance Administration announces that they will consolidate and streamline fragmented Federal workforce development programs that are too disconnected from propelling workers into secure, well-paying, and high-need American jobs. This EO will expand Registered Apprenticeships (RA) to new industries and occupations, including high-growth and emerging sectors, as well as improve RA’s efficiency and provide consistent support to program participants.

WorkforceGPS will host a webinar on April 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET to highlight how apprenticeship models can connect youth to career pathways. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use this information to increase their knowledge of registered apprenticeship opportunities for young people. They will also learn how to expand career options for young participants, especially those who may not be engaged in traditional education or employment, by connecting them to these hands-on training opportunities that build skills, support long-term employment, and reduce reliance on government assistance.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) will host the National Fatherhood Summit from August 3 to August 5, 2026, providing a forum for stakeholders interested in sharing and discovering ways to support and promote responsible fatherhood. OFA encourages stakeholders from a variety of vocations and walks of life to help shape the Summit agenda by submitting workshop proposals that align with the Summit theme, “The Fatherhood Mandate: Building Families, Building America,” and one of their five concurrent Summit learning tracks:

1. Strengthening Marriage and Family Stability in the Context of Fatherhood
2. Fathers, Child Welfare, and the Path Beyond Foster Care
3. Workforce Readiness and Economic Mobility for Fathers
4. Fathers as Leaders in Faith-Based and Civic Institutions in Their Communities
5. Data-Driven Fatherhood Programming

If you are interested in presenting, OFA is welcoming submissions until April 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

For more information on participating as an attendee, please check out The 2026 National Fatherhood Summit webpage. 

CareerOneStop’s Skills Matcher is an online tool that helps individuals identify their skills and connect them to potential career pathways. TANF programs can use this resource to support participants in identifying strengths and exploring employment opportunities that lead to self-sufficiency.

Credential Finder is a tool that helps individuals explore certifications and training programs that align with career goals and labor market needs. TANF programs can use this resource to support participants in advancing their education and improving long-term employment outcomes.

This brief explores strategies to help young adults successfully connect to education and employment pathways. Effective career pathway models emphasize coordinated services, work-based learning, and strong partnerships across systems. For TANF programs, these approaches reinforce the importance of aligning employment services with education and training opportunities, especially for young parents and youth transitioning to independence, to support long-term economic mobility.