Trump Executive Order Boosts HBCUs Role in Building Federal Tech Workforce

President Donald Trump’s April executive order on promoting excellence and innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) strengthens the pipeline for the future federal tech workforce and opens the door for innovation, Troy Duffie, director of financial markets and head of the HBCU Strategic Initiative and Fellows Program at the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, told GovCIO Media & Research in a recent interview.

“When we invest in HBCUs, we’re not just supporting institutions — we’re strengthening America’s workforce, expanding its tax base and fueling its innovation pipeline,” said Duffie in the interview.

Establishing the White House Initiative on HBCUs

The directive establishes the White House Initiative on HBCUs “to provide the highest-quality education to an increasing number of students.” As part of the initiative, federal, academic and industry partners will work to “[upgrade] institutional infrastructure, including the use of technology” and “[provide] professional development opportunities for HBCU students to help build America’s workforce in technology, health care, manufacturing, finance and other high-growth industries.”

HBCUs generate $14.8 billion in total economic impact each year and produce nearly 134,000 jobs for their local and regional economies, according to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Duffie said if this executive order leads to real investment, the return won’t just be institutional, it will be national.

Duffie said the directive will have a positive impact on the Milken Institute’s HBCU Strategic Initiative and Fellowship Program, which was created to provide a direct pipeline from HBCUs into the sectors driving the future of the economy as well as giving students the exposure, skills and networks they need to lead.

“To me, [the executive order] highlights something we’ve always known, HBCUs are the hidden gems of higher education and it’s long past time for that gem to be on display,” said Duffie. “As for our program, any federal initiative that strengthens institutional capacity, expands workforce development or deepens public-private partnerships is a welcome opportunity.”

Creating a ‘Competitive Edge’ with the Future Workforce

The HBCU Strategic Initiative has been instrumental in helping students who are seeking careers in asset management and financial services, as well as tech and health care, Duffie outlined.

“No matter what lane you’re in, understanding how capital moves is a competitive edge,” said Duffie. “And we’ve seen the impact, even students who pursue careers outside of financial services perform at a higher level because they know how to think strategically, manage resources and ask the right questions.”

Duffie added that their HBCU program curriculum is centered around a simple idea: technical skills get you in the door, strategic thinking moves you up the ladder.

“We also emphasize leadership, because the innovation economy doesn’t just need coders and analysts, it needs visionaries,” said Duffie. “Our fellows don’t just learn how systems work; they learn how to lead within them — and eventually, how to redesign them.”