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Lowe's Foundation Commits $250M to Train 250,000 Tradespeople by 2035
The Lowe's Foundation announces a five-fold expansion of its skilled trades workforce commitment, investing $250 million to help train and develop 250,000…
Lowe's Foundation Commits $250M to Train 250,000 Tradespeople by 2035
The Lowe's Foundation just dropped one of the biggest workforce development announcements in recent memory: a $250 million commitment to help train and develop 250,000 skilled tradespeople by 2035. That's a five-fold increase from their original 2023 pledge — and a massive signal that corporate America is finally treating the trades shortage like the crisis it is.
The Numbers Behind the Urgency
Here's why this matters: Associated Builders and Contractors estimates that 349,000 net new construction workers are needed to meet demand this year alone. The skilled trades gap isn't a future problem — it's a right-now emergency.
When Lowe's first launched its Gable Grants program in 2023, the target was $50 million over five years to train 50,000 tradespeople. They're now on track to hit that goal a full year early, with nearly $53 million already invested across 65 nonprofits and community colleges nationwide. That early success gave them the confidence to go five times bigger.
What the $250 Million Actually Funds
This isn't just a press release number. The Lowe's Foundation is directing investment into three key areas:
1. Expanding Training Partnerships
More funding for nonprofits and community colleges to increase program capacity, reduce barriers to entry, and recruit new tradespeople. The focus is on organizations that prioritize job placement, career advancement, and long-term sustainability — not just enrollment numbers.
2. Reaching the Next Generation
The foundation is expanding its partnership with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) to enhance the CareerStarter platform, a free service connecting students and job seekers with educators, employers, and career opportunities. They're also specifically targeting opportunity youth — people ages 16 to 24 who aren't currently in school or employed but have the potential to thrive in skilled trades careers.
Grant recipients will participate in convenings with skilled trades experts and industry leaders to solve shared challenges — from short-term credentialing to hiring enough instructors to meet surging demand.
Real People, Real Impact
The announcement highlights Cleveland Roberts, a third-generation tradesperson who completed a carpentry program at Columbus Technical College in Georgia. Roberts won the gold medal for cabinetmaking at the state SkillsUSA competition in 2024 and now owns CR Woodworx, a residential remodeling and repair business.
"Skilled trades training gave me more than a job; it gave me upward mobility and the confidence to build something for myself and my community," Roberts said.
His story — along with 12 other aspiring tradespeople and their mentors — is featured in Building Back America's Trades, a new three-part TV series produced by the Lowe's Foundation premiering April 11, 2026 on Magnolia Network (and the next day on HBO Max and discovery+).
Why This Matters for Your Career
Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison, who co-champions the Business Roundtable's "Skilled Trades for America" initiative, put it bluntly: "American prosperity is at stake."
When a Fortune 50 company puts a quarter of a billion dollars behind trades training, it validates what we've been saying: skilled trades careers offer real earning potential, job security, and upward mobility that rivals — and often exceeds — the traditional four-year degree path.
Here's what this means for you:
- More funded training programs are coming to community colleges and nonprofits near you
- Free career-matching tools like NCCER's CareerStarter platform make it easier than ever to find your path
- Corporate backing means better equipment, better instructors, and better job placement rates at participating programs
- A TV series that might just inspire your next career move
The Bottom Line
The skilled trades shortage is creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity for workers willing to learn with their hands. With Lowe's Foundation leading a $250 million charge, the infrastructure for trades training is about to get a serious upgrade.
If you've been considering a career in the trades — or know someone who should be — there has never been a better time to explore your options. Check out the NCCER CareerStarter platform to get started, and tune into Building Back America's Trades to see what a trades career really looks like.
The trades aren't just building America's infrastructure — they're building America's middle class. And now, with $250 million in fresh investment, the path to getting there just got wider.
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