Lowe’s Foundation addresses labor needs

The Lowe’s Foundation has made a five-year, $50 million commitment to prepare 50,000 people for careers in the skilled trades through two-year grants programs.

“We’re going to be working with and funding community and technical colleges, as well as community-based non-profits,” says Betsy Conway, the foundation’s director. “We believe that those entities have a well-established infrastructure, they’re able to recruit and attract individuals into their training programs, and ultimately create a workforce who is job ready.”

The foundation’s Gable Grants program started accepting applications from community and technical colleges in March. Community-based nonprofits will be able to apply in August.

The foundation is focused on several key areas of the trades including carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. Conway, citing foundation research, says that 85 percent of contractors surveyed report difficulty finding skilled workers and there’s demand for an estimated 546,000 new skilled tradespeople in 2023.

“We acknowledge that there’s a shortage of skilled workers. We know employers are hurting every day and they need these skilled tradespeople to enter the workforce. So, we believe this program will be able to help these organizations to train, provide certifications, and ultimately to job-place individuals into these great careers to help make a dent in the shortage that exists out there,” adds Conway.

“The other piece is we know that about 25 percent of the construction workforce is expected to retire, and there’s just not enough people entering the workforce to replace that. So that’s why the time is now and we’re putting dollars behind it, and funding, to help really strengthen the infrastructure that community and technical colleges, and non-profits have.”

To apply, visit lowes.com/foundation.  

This article was originally published in the May 2023 issue.