Industry-leading commitment and new three-part TV series focused on ramping up career opportunities and inspiring next generation of Pros
Summary
- The Lowe's Foundation announces an expanded commitment to invest
$250 million to help train and develop 250,000 skilled tradespeople by 2035, increasing its workforce commitment five-fold in response to an urgent workforce shortage. - Building on early momentum, the foundation is on track to reach its original funding goal a year ahead of schedule, with nearly
$53 million invested in 65 nonprofits and community colleges nationwide. - Building Back America's Trades is a new three-part series produced by the Lowe's Foundation that will premiere Saturday, April 11 on Magnolia Network and the next day on HBO Max and discovery+, showcasing aspiring skilled tradespeople and their mentors.
The Lowe’s Foundation’s Gable Grants program supports community colleges like Columbus Technical College and individuals like Cleveland Roberts, who completed a carpentry program and now runs his own remodeling business.
The foundation's new goal builds on the early success following its 2023 announcement of a
"Three years ago, we set out to lead an ambitious workforce movement in a pivotal moment – and it's taken off faster than we imagined," said Marvin Ellison, Lowe's chairman and CEO and co-champion of the Business Roundtable "Skilled Trades for America" initiative. "American prosperity is at stake, and we are partnering to solve the workforce gap with a growing force of educators, employers and policymakers who understand local needs. No single organization can do this alone."
To reach 250,000 tradespeople over 10 years, the foundation is increasing its investment and focus on:
- Expanding partnerships with nonprofits and community colleges nationwide to increase program capacity, reduce training barriers and recruit new tradespeople. These organizations prioritize job placement, career advancement to increase retention and long-term program sustainability.
- Helping the next generation of professionals find new careers. To improve access, the foundation is growing its partnership with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) to enhance its CareerStarter platform, a free service that connects students and job seekers directly with educators, employers and career opportunities. Separately, the foundation is also expanding its training focus to include opportunity youth — young people ages 16 to 24 who are not currently in school or employed but have the potential to connect to skilled trades employment opportunities through education and training.
- Leading a community of learning with grant recipients to accelerate the adoption of best practices. This includes in-person convenings with skilled trades experts and industry leaders to solve shared challenges, from short-term credentialing to hiring instructors to meet increased demand.
The Lowe's Foundation's Gable Grants program supports community colleges like Columbus Technical College in
"Skilled trades training gave me more than a job; it gave me upward mobility and the confidence to build something for myself and my community," said Roberts. "Columbus Tech's carpentry and cabinetmaking program has shown me what's possible when people are given access to career pathways with a tangible, real-world impact."
Roberts' journey is featured alongside 12 aspiring tradespeople and their mentors in Building Back America's Trades, a new three-part series produced by the Lowe's Foundation that premieres Saturday, April 11 on Magnolia Network and the next day on HBO Max and discovery+, showcasing aspiring skilled tradespeople and their mentors. Each participant is connected to innovative skilled trades training programs at Columbus Technical College,
To explore more about the Lowe's Foundation's work to expand opportunity in the trades, click here for its 2025 annual report and sign up here for its quarterly newsletter.
About the Lowe's Foundation
The Lowe's Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by Lowe's, is solving the critical skilled trades labor shortage and helping fulfill dreams for the next generation of Pros. By 2035, the Lowe's Foundation will invest
Media Contacts
Sebastian Hale
Lowe's Foundation
[email protected]
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SOURCE Lowe’s Foundation