Lowe’s goes a cut above
Lowe’s Foundation announced it has awarded a $1 million Gable Grant to SkillsUSA, the workforce development organization for students, to support the future of skilled trades.
“Through partnerships with SkillsUSA and the growing generation of future trades professionals, we are helping the world see that trades careers are not just to be respected but revered,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation.
The Foundation will join SkillsUSA to celebrate thousands of students nationwide on National Signing Day May 7, as they commit to skilled trades jobs, apprenticeships or further education in their trade.
On that day, future skilled tradespeople will sign their letter of intent to further their education or pursue skilled trades career pathways.
Lowe’s will host a blue carpet runway to honor local SkillsUSA students as “Trades Stars” at stores in Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Miami and San Diego.
Since launching in 2019, more than 500,000 students from 4,700 SkillsUSA schools across the country have graduated.
“SkillsUSA is empowering students to become skilled professionals who can help meet the country’s skilled labor demands – including those in the construction field – for years to come,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA.
Since 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation reported it has awarded over $18 million in Gable Grants to 25 organizations offering innovative and scalable skilled trades training across the U.S.
Through these grants, the retailer said, “program participants are strengthening their skills across carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliance repair.”
