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Witnesses say U.S. reshoring depends on better vocational training, targeted immigration and predictable trade policy
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Summary
Experts told the Joint Economic Committee that bringing advanced manufacturing back to the United States will require expanded technical education, clearer immigration rules for high-skilled workers and stable trade policy, not just incentives for factories.
Yossi Sheffi, a professor of engineering systems at MIT, told the Joint Economic Committee that U.S. manufacturers cannot rely only on moving final assembly home and must expand the domestic pool of skilled technicians, trade-school graduates and engineers.
Those workforce shortages undercut efforts to “reshore” advanced production even when federal incentives exist, witnesses said. Without clearer career pathways, faster credentialing and selective immigration policies to retain top graduates, firms will struggle to staff new, high-tech plants.
Why it matters: Committee witnesses said recent federal measures such as the CHIPS and Science Act and infrastructure spending create opportunities for new manufacturing investment but that firms will not build or fully operate fabs and other advanced facilities if the skilled labor is unavailable or if businesses face volatile trade rules.
Sheffi argued that automation and robotics can reduce reliance on manual labor but do not remove the need for technicians who can set up, run and maintain advanced equipment. “High level trade schools…are what is desperately needed,” he said, urging more emphasis on plumbers, electricians and machine operators who can run CNC and robotized equipment. He added: “AI may replace people like us. But…it's not gonna replace the plumber who comes to your home to fix the stuff. By the way, my plumber drives the Rolls Royce.”
CSIS senior fellow Sujesh Shivakumar told the committee federal, state and local governments must partner with community colleges, apprenticeships and industry to align training with firm needs. “We need to support…a high skill technical workforce,” he said, calling for better alignment between community colleges and employers and for more modern credentialing and apprenticeship systems.
Witnesses said policymakers should consider several near-term steps that would make a difference to employers: create clearer pathways from community college training into jobs at new plants, accelerate credentialing and apprenticeships tied to local industry needs, and consider targeted immigration reforms that make it easier for graduates with critical technical skills to remain in the United States.
They also cautioned against overreliance on tariffs as the only tool to bring jobs back. Shivakumar said a tariff-only strategy “that does not address the workforce development and infrastructure build out…will not be effective.”
The hearing included repeated calls from witnesses and committee members to expand funding and administrative support for vocational education and apprenticeships, and to pilot programs that match workers’ credentials directly to employer demand using modern data tools.
Looking ahead: Witnesses asked Congress to treat workforce development as a core element of industrial policy rather than an afterthought. They recommended pilot programs that pair CHIPS-funded sites and other manufacturing projects with state and local training providers to speed hiring and reduce the risk that new facilities sit idle for lack of qualified staff.
Ending note: Panelists emphasized the point repeatedly: capital incentives can bring factories, but people with the right skills make them operate.
