Navigating a career path after college can be daunting, and despite a robust job market, recent grads are having a hard time landing a job post-degree. The latest unemployment rate for recent graduates, at 4.4%, is higher than the overall joblessness rate and nearly double the rate for all workers with a college degree, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
That's why Lowe's, in collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), developed the Lowe's Retail Immersion program. Now in its second year, the program is a three-day initiative that seeks to expose underrepresented communities to Lowe’s and the unique retail space in which it operates. In March, twenty-eight students from 15 HBCUs gathered at the Lowe's Tech Hub in Charlotte and the Store Support Center site in Mooresville to learn about different career avenues, including technology, business, and retail. In sharing Lowe’s company culture and leadership connections, the company hopes to attract talent to the home improvement market.
Matthew Harris from Tennessee State University and Asia Kimpson of Central State University say the experience and exposure have been invaluable.
When you think of Lowe’s, you usually just think of a hardware store, but after the immersion program, it has opened my eyes to the fact that Lowe’s is not just a hardware store but also a pillar in supply chain and other fields. These types of experiences help students to gauge what they want to do more. For me, coming from Mississippi, these types of opportunities are scarce, so this immersive experience was a deep learning opportunity for me to talk to industry experts who have been in their fields for years and learn from them directly.
Before coming to this retail immersion, I thought Lowe’s was just a home improvement store, but I quickly realized that you can really grow within the corporation. There are a lot of different roles you can take and I learned that as a marketing major there are so many different roles that I can do that aren’t directly in marketing. I could go into tech, finance, and so many more and bring my experience. All students should have an experience like the immersion program because, as a student, you can really see that as a student, you have so many opportunities, and you aren’t stagnant and can do any position as long as you put in the work.
The partnership between Lowe's and the TMCF continues to strengthen through Lowe's Retail Immersion Program, and Dr. Harry L. William, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund says the collaboration benefits both the company and the program participants.
TMCF and Lowe’s have had a wonderful partnership for over 10 years. Lowe’s is intentional in supporting HBCU students through scholarships and immersive experiences, and seeks innovative ways to provide students with leadership and professional development opportunities. The work we are doing together changes lives.
Lowe’s will continue its investment in students from TMCF and beyond and will be attending the 2024 TMCF Leadership Institute this September to recruit these sophomores, and others, for Summer 2025 internships.
