Trump to Announce $180 Million for Mining Education and Training
The grants are part of a broader push to expand U.S. production of critical minerals now dominated by China.
President Trump plans to announce more than $180 million in grants Friday to expand educational and trade programs for the mining industry, CBS News has learned, as part of an effort to increase domestic production of critical minerals.
Mr. Trump will unveil the plans at a roundtable at the State Department with educational leaders from universities including the Colorado School of Mines, a White House official told CBS News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick are also slated to participate.
The Department of Energy is launching a $100 million grant program intended to expand the mining and critical mineral workforce by sharply increasing the number of people earning degrees in those fields over the next two years. The program is expected to provide financial support for scholarships and other initiatives, an official said. Universities, community colleges, trade schools, industry groups and other partners will be eligible to apply.
The military is separately offering more than $80 million in additional funding to three universities. The Colorado School of Mines is expected to receive $32.7 million for a technology development hub, the South Dakota School of Mines will get $25 million to establish workforce development programs, and Johns Hopkins University will get $23.6 million for a recycling-focused program.
The grants come as the Trump administration pushes to increase U.S. output of critical minerals such as lithium, silicon, graphite and rare-earth elements. Those materials are essential to semiconductors, aerospace equipment and many other modern technologies, but China mines and refines an outsized share of the world's supply.
Mr. Trump has also sought to bolster the coal mining industry. His administration pledged $700 million in grants to coal plants and a coal export terminal in June, and it has eased environmental regulations that restricted the coal industry.
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