Lowe's Foundation Announces $50 Million to Help Meet Demand for Tradespeople

The Lowe's Foundation announced a $50 million commitment over the next five years to prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers through grants to community and technical colleges and community-based nonprofits. The new strategic focus addresses one of the most critical worker shortages currently facing the U.S. economy. Today, 85% of contractors report trouble finding skilled workers[1], and an estimated 546,000 new skilled tradespeople will be needed to meet demand in this year alone[2].

"With the skilled trades industry facing a labor crisis, the Lowe's Foundation is now poised to help train tens of thousands of qualified skilled tradespeople, giving each of them the opportunity to build a rewarding career and make lasting impacts in communities across the country," said Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe's Foundation. "We are bringing our network, our expertise and our resources to address this critical need and help ensure that the next generation of builders has the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the demands of our modern world."