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Malaysian Reserve
4 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Lowe's Foundation Investment in Solving Skilled Trades Labor Shortage Grows to $43 Million
Third cohort of community and technical colleges grant recipients will launch and expand new training programs for thousands of aspiring tradespeople MOORESVILLE, N.C., July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Lowe's Foundation today announced 12 new Gable Grants for community and technical colleges to help solve America's critical skilled trades worker shortage. The funding expands the foundation's nationwide network of Gable Grants recipients to 60 organizations, each delivering scalable pathways into high-demand trades careers. Through expanded training, grants to this cohort will help build the next generation of skilled tradespeople at a time when the industry needs it the most. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the skilled labor gap drives a $10 billion annual economic loss in the housing industry. 'Collectively, we are writing a comeback story for the skilled trades industry,' said Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe's Foundation. 'Through our Gable Grants network, these schools join a community of innovators helping one another effectively recruit, train and employ the people America needs to revitalize our infrastructure.' Since launching the Gable Grants program in 2023, the foundation has invested $43 million across 28 states. The grants are part of a five-year, $50 million commitment to help community and technical colleges and nonprofits recruit, train and prepare 50,000 trades professionals across carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and property maintenance. The new Lowe's Foundation Gable Grants support the following community and technical colleges: Blue Ridge Community College (Flat Rock, North Carolina) will support ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts through expanded training for advanced manufacturing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and construction apprenticeships. The grant will help Blue Ridge hire certified instructors and offer tuition support to students from across Western North Carolina. Cape Fear Community College (Wilmington, North Carolina) will introduce plumbing, facility maintenance and core construction programs at two correctional facilities and an adult high school program. The college's curriculum features integrated virtual reality training along with industry recognized certifications to meet the needs of its growing employer network. Community College of Rhode Island (Warwick, Rhode Island) will expand its Electrical Apprenticeship and Ready to Build programs to address the growing demand for skilled trades professionals. The school will establish two state-of-the-art lab spaces to increase enrollment capacity and develop a credit-bearing academic pathway that integrates into a new construction management certificate and degree program. Florida State College at Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Florida) will strengthen communities and improve access for aspiring electricians, construction professionals and HVAC technicians through training at community sites. The grant will also support the recruitment of skilled instructors and fund educational materials, spaces and equipment, addressing workforce needs for large construction projects in Jacksonville, including the $8 billion downtown revitalization and $1.4 billion NFL stadium renovation. Los Angeles Community College District (Los Angeles) will enhance its skilled trades curriculum while expanding the capacity of its Construction, Maintenance and Utilities programs. In the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades and Eaton wildfires, the program will focus on fire recovery with disaster-specific training to prepare a workforce for major infrastructure projects. Germanna Community College (Fredericksburg, Virginia) will build and deploy mobile training units to rural communities, public schools and correctional facilities. Germanna Community College has trained over 3,500 students in 2025, the most among Virginia schools awarding skilled trades credentials. Ivy Tech Community College (Indianapolis) is receiving its second Gable Grant to launch a new Building and Property Maintenance Technician program and enhance its HVAC training. This grant will focus on dislocated workers and second-chance learners and will expand trades programs across the college system, which includes 19 campuses throughout Indiana. J.F. Ingram State Technical College (Deatsville, Alabama) exclusively serves Alabama's incarcerated population and individuals under supervised release. The Gable Grant will unlock access to electrical training through virtual reality simulation software and shop-based learning. The vocational training program supports reentry and long-term career pathways by equipping students with invaluable technical skills and expertise to meet industry workforce needs and gain a competitive advantage in the job market. Johnson College of Technology (Scranton, Pennsylvania) will expand its capacity and programming at two campuses through its HVAC, Electrical Construction Technology and carpentry and cabinetmaking labs. The school is the only career technical college in Northeastern Pennsylvania and partners with industry employers to prepare students for residential, commercial and industrial careers across the region. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston, Mississippi) is receiving its second Gable Grant to introduce electrical technology evening courses and transform its construction trades program. This will double the school's capacity to prepare electricians and support a Fast-Track Pathway that offers accelerated transfer credits, internships and apprenticeships to meet the construction sector's growing demands. Palm Beach State College (Lake Worth, Florida) is receiving its second Gable Grant to help expand its construction trades programs and add a simulation lab. The expansion will complement four mobile units and bring HVAC and electrical training to the school's Palm Beach Gardens campus as well as rural high schools in South Florida. Texas State Technical College (Waco, Texas) will equip a nearly 130,000 square-foot Construction Technology Center while offering tool stipends to eligible students. The school boasts an 87% job placement rate and offers associate degrees and certificates of completion, as well as short-term, noncredit training aligned with Texas' workforce needs. The next Gable Grant application cycle for community-based nonprofits opens from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31 and is by invitation only. To learn more about eligibility guidelines and skilled trades career benefits, visit About The Lowe's FoundationThe Lowe's Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW), is helping develop a community of skilled tradespeople to build and revitalize our homes, neighborhoods and infrastructure for the future. 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. To learn more about the Lowe's Foundation, visit and follow on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Media ContactsSebastian HaleLowe's Click here for a Spanish version of the press release
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LOWE'S TURNS SQUARE FEET INTO A MEASURABLE FORCE FOR GOOD
"10 million square feet of impact" represents Lowe's annual promise to continue its work to improve communities nationwide – measuring Lowe's help inch-by-inch, foot-by-foot MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 100 years, Lowe's has been committed to strengthening communities by helping neighbors in need repair their homes, responding during the darkest hours following disasters and renovating community spaces. Today marks a new day in Lowe's history – a promise to deliver 10 million square feet of impact every year – building on Lowe's longstanding work to help make America's communities better places to live and work. "At the heart of our company are 300,000 associates who proudly wear the red vest to help our customers and communities. Our associates never shy away from rolling up their sleeves and digging in to help," said Marvin Ellison, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "When helping others is in your DNA, you just show up. That's exactly who we are and who we will always be." Lowe's 10 million square feet of impact promise will measure all the ways the company helps each year, tracking its force for good foot by foot, from building playgrounds for children, to planting community gardens and restoring community centers, to distributing supplies after a disaster, to repairing homes for neighbors in need. Lowe's recently celebrated the 10 million-square-feet promise in Charlotte, the company's hometown. On May 6–7, more than 5,500 Lowe's associates, family members and volunteers from the company's vendor and agency partners and Charlotte area businesses came together for a 24-hour Bed Build, handcrafting 5,000 beds for children in need across 49 cities in 16 states. In collaboration with Lowe's national nonprofit partner Sleep in Heavenly Peace, this effort delivered more than 100,000 square feet of impact and will make an immeasurable difference for thousands of children in need of a bed. Lowe's will continue driving measurable impact through signature efforts like Lowe's Hometowns, a five-year, $100 million initiative that powers 100 large-scale community projects annually, alongside 1,700 associate-led efforts. From neighborhood parks to food pantries, these projects are turning urgent needs into new beginnings – and each one will now be measured as part of Lowe's 10 million-square-foot goal. Across the country, Lowe's associates are the driving force behind how help shows up in communities nationwide. They are the hands that build, repair and restore, the very heart of Lowe's efforts to make 10 million square feet of impact this year. "There has never been a better time to rally around such an important and measurable force for good," said Janice Dupré, Lowe's EVP of human resources. "That's Lowe's kind of help. Our associates bring people together and show up to help when our neighbors need us most. By measuring our impact, we are ensuring that our bold ambitions to improve the places where we live and work come true." To track the 10 million square feet of impact promise, Lowe's will provide updates on milestones, showcasing the square footage transformed through its work with veterans, disaster relief efforts, community space renovations and more. Lowe's How We Help Hub will share updates on its continued efforts to deliver 10 million square feet of impact. To learn more about Lowe's commitment to community improvement, visit About Lowe's Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 16 million customer transactions a week in the United States. With total fiscal year 2024 sales of more than $83 billion, Lowe's operates over 1,700 home improvement stores and employs approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing, improving community spaces, helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts and providing disaster relief to communities in need. For more information, visit Media Contact Laurel Waller Media Assets For additional media assets click here View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
