On Wednesday, skilled trades innovators gathered at Lowe's Tech Hub in Charlotte to celebrate the announcement of the latest cohort of Lowe's Foundation Gable Grant recipients. Lowe's Foundation announced ten programs nationwide that will receive funding to bridge the gap between a dwindling skilled trade workforce nearing retirement and untapped potential workers. To that end, Lowe's Foundation has pledged a 5-year, 50 million dollar commitment to train 50,000 job-skilled ready tradespeople to build a more robust infrastructure that supports communities in the long term.
The infusion of workers comes at a critical time, with studies showing 88% of contractors report trouble finding skilled workers and an estimated 501,000 new skilled tradespeople needed to meet demand in 2024 alone. Janice Dupré, Lowe's Executive Vice President of Human Resources, emphasized the importance of the Lowe's Foundation work.
The data is alarming, but at Lowe's, we see an opportunity, and like normal, we're going to go after it with everything we have... We're working to help create a talent pipeline from all backgrounds and experiences to address this critical talent shortage in the trades.
Two of the ten programs that will receive Gable Grant funding are in Charlotte and were on site for the exciting check presentations. She Built This City, a non-profit focused on bringing women into the trades, received a $1 million grant, and the Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont collected an $800,000 grant.
Tara Edwards, a graduate of the Goodwill of the Piedmont's Renewable Energy and Efficiency Workforce Training Program, spoke to the crowd about Goodwill's impact on her life and the funds that are sure to do the same for so many others.
This is a very big thing for people who feel like they don't matter or don't feel like they have any importance…I thank Goodwill because it was able to open doors for me that had never been opened before. I now make more money than I've ever made in my life. I bought my first home, and I got married. I can honestly say that Goodwill truly did change my life.
Check out the video below to see the recipients' reactions upon learning of their selection for the Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant.