Lowe’s Foundation Donates $8M Toward Skilled Trades Training

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — An estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled by 2030, according to the Department of Education, creating potential economic losses of up to $1 trillion annually. As demand for skilled trades professionals continues to outpace supply, expanding access to training and career pathways has become increasingly critical for communities and employers alike.

To continue to address this growing workforce challenge, the Lowe's Foundation announced nearly $8 million in additional Gable Grants to 10 community and technical colleges across the country, pushing the Lowe's Foundation's total investment in skilled trades training beyond $60 million since 2023.

"Over the past three years, the Lowe's Foundation has built a national flywheel that is connecting educators, workforce organizations and community partners and strengthening the skilled trades workforce," said Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and president and chair of the Lowe's Foundation. "Funding is just one part of the equation; our greatest impact comes from bringing the entire ecosystem together. We are proud to help lead this collaborative model, to train and develop skills trade professionals to serve across multiple industries and companies."

Building on the success of its Gable Grants program, the foundation is expanding partnerships with nonprofits and community colleges nationwide to increase training capacity, remove barriers to entry and connect more people with rewarding skilled trades careers. Beyond funding, the foundation is also inspiring the next generation through initiatives like its Building Back America's Trades docuseries while fostering a national community of learning among grant recipients to accelerate the adoption of best practices and strengthen the skilled trades talent pipeline.

The new Lowe's Foundation Gable Grants support the following community and technical colleges:

Chattahoochee Technical College (Marietta, Georgia) will expand HVAC and commercial climate-control training to help meet growing workforce demand in the Atlanta region. 

Dixie Technical College (St. George, Utah) will expand electrical, HVACR, and plumbing training to help meet workforce demand driven by Utah's growing infrastructure and data center industries. 

Durham Technical Community College (Durham, North Carolina) will expand electrical, HVAC and plumbing training opportunities across Durham and Orange counties and expand bilingual instruction, Spanish-language trades courses and community-based outreach. 

Elaine P. Nunez Community College (Chalmette, Louisiana) will expand skilled trades training on its main campus and through a new temporary training site in Plaquemines Parish, increasing access to workforce education in a rapidly growing region. 

Houston City College (Houston, Texas) will expand electrical, carpentry, construction, HVAC and plumbing training opportunities across Houston through a model that combines neighborhood outreach, wraparound student supports and employer partnerships. 

Miami Dade College (Miami, Florida) will use its second Gable Grant to expand its successful Construction Trades Institute (CTI) model to the Homestead Campus, bringing skilled trades training to more learners in South Miami-Dade. 

Mountwest Community and Technical College (Huntington, West Virginia) will use its second Gable Grant to expand construction management and HVAC pathways, increasing access to workforce-ready training for rural learners. 

Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta, Iowa) will expand electrical training for learners across Northeast Iowa's 5,000-square-mile service area, where distance can be a barrier to workforce education. 

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) (Wichita, Kansas) will enhance skilled trades training through an outdoor live lab and tiny-home build program that replicates a real-world construction site.

York Technical College (Rock Hill, South Carolina) will strengthen HVAC, electrical, carpentry, plumbing and appliance repair training through immersive, employer-informed learning experiences.