WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is ordering more money and a bigger role for private companies in designing apprenticeship programs meant to fill some of the 6 million open jobs in the U.S.

Trump on Thursday was signing an executive order to roughly double to $200 million the taxpayer money spent on learn-to-earn programs. The money would come from existing job training programs.

The executive order would leave it to industry to design apprenticeships under broad standards to be set by the Labor Department.

Trump is directing the government to review and streamline some 43 workforce programs across 13 agencies. Senior administration officials have said Trump was reluctant to spend more federal funds on apprenticeships, so the boost would come from existing money, perhaps from the streamlining process. The officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity to preview Trump’s order.

Companies have long complained that they can’t find trained people to fill technical jobs, and apprentice programs have sprung up around the country. Companies now have to register with the Labor Department and adhere to government guidelines. There are about 500,000 apprenticeship positions.

Trump had campaigned on creating jobs. The executive order addresses the nation’s “skills gap” that have left millions of open jobs unfilled. Apprenticeships would give students a way to learn skills without the crippling debt of four-year colleges, and expand those opportunities to women, minorities and other populations underrepresented among the nation’s roughly 505,000 apprentices.