Home Improvement Wars
Home Depot and Lowes Fight the Trades Gap
The subject of this article falls under the category of “we need more of this.”
I know, we used a click-bait headline, but we’re happy to see two giants of the home improvement industry fighting the skilled trades gap.
Both Home Depot and Lowes Home Improvement have introduced programs to promote trade skill training, and they are contributing millions to show they’re serious.
For Home Depot, their initiative is called the “Path to Pro” program. It offers free, on-demand virtual training, scholarships and entry-level certificates for persons interested in the trades. This program allows anyone to learn the basics of various trades at their own pace.
For Lowes Home Improvement, their “Gable Grants” and other programs sponsor local community efforts, partner with community colleges and trades schools around the country, and offer scholarships and provide online resources for prospective trade students.
We’re fans of these programs because we believe they fit perfectly the needs of the VoTech News audience. We write for parents, students, high school counselors, and business owners, with the mission of providing timely, accurate information on vocational, career and technical education.
The Home Depot Path to Pro program is focused on preparing more people for careers in the skilled trades. Through partnerships with leading industry organizations like Home Builders Institute (HBI) and Construction Ready, the program aims to train the next generation of tradespeople.
Since their inception, the Home Depot Foundation’s partnerships have certified more than 70,000 participants and introduced nearly 600,000 people to the skilled trades, surpassing their initial commitment six years ahead of schedule.
The Lowe’s Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by Lowe’s Companies, Inc., is helping develop a community of skilled tradespeople to build and revitalize homes, neighborhoods and infrastructure for the future.
Lowe’s Foundation committed more than $10 million in Gable Grants to help prepare the next generation of trades professionals.
The funding will equip 15 community-based and national nonprofits with new resources to expand hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials and connections to employers.
From 2023 through 2028, the Lowe’s Foundation is investing $50 million to help prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers through grants to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofit organizations and national nonprofit partners with a strong local presence.
The Home Depot Foundation programs consist of these main focus areas:
Path to Pro Military Program
Path to Pro High School & Youth Program
Path to Pro Academy Program
Path to Pro Scholarship Program
Path to Pro Skills Program
Path to Pro Network
Online Resources
Key Features of the Lowe’s Programs are:
Gable Grants Scholarships for Trade Students
Mobile Training Programs (bringing classrooms to local communities)
Hiring our Heroes Program
Women in the Trades
Here are some helpful links to these important programs:
More information on Lowes Gable Grants program here:
Here’s a link to Home Depot’s program:
More information on all the Lowes community programs is found here:
More information about the Home Depot scholarship program can be found here:
We take our VoTech hardhat off to Lowes and Home Depot, and hope their programs are an inspiration to many others in the trades, construction, and service industries.