The Lowe’s Foundation has announced an investment of over $10 million in Gable Grants to support 15 community-based and national nonprofits focused on skilled trades training. This funding aims to address the increasing demand for tradespeople across the United States, as infrastructure projects and housing needs continue to grow.
“These nonprofits are working around the clock to connect people with life-changing careers, and their recruitment and training programs are critical to helping us maximize the impact of our growing workforce movement,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Investments in organizations like these are investments in the future of our country’s economy, resilience and global competitiveness at an urgent moment for America.”
Since 2023, the Gable Grants program has provided nearly $53 million to 65 nonprofits and community colleges nationwide. The grants support a range of skilled trades including carpentry, construction, electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, and property maintenance.
Among this year’s recipients is Building Futures in Providence, Rhode Island. The organization will use its grant to modernize its training lab and expand capacity for pre-apprenticeship programs that serve low-income individuals and those reentering the workforce.
In Pasadena, California, Flintridge Center will enhance its pre-apprenticeship offerings by improving facilities and equipment while providing job placement services for second-chance learners. Florida Trade Academy in Tampa plans to scale its transition pre-apprenticeship programs into rural areas using National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) accredited training.
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont in Charlotte will continue expanding its Construction Skills Training program with NCCER-certified courses covering carpentry, electrical work, HVAC systems, building automation, and apartment maintenance. Positive Workforce in New York will focus on hands-on construction training primarily for women and second-chance learners.
Other grantees include Revolution Workshop in Chicago; SERJobs in Houston; She Built This City in Charlotte; Skillpoint Alliance serving Austin and other Texas regions; The Master’s Apprentice in Denver; and West Virginia Women Work based in Morgantown. These organizations offer various programs such as rapid employment models with industry certifications, green energy labs for new technologies like solar power or EV charging systems, mobile training units for rural outreach, stipends for trainees, career coaching partnerships with employers, virtual reality simulations for skill development, entrepreneurship hubs targeting marginalized communities, and more.
The Lowe’s Foundation also renewed partnerships with national organizations including Goodwill Industries International—which will use funds to strengthen clean technology pathways—and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which plans to integrate artificial intelligence curriculum into safety-focused workplace applications while launching a Pre-Apprenticeships+ Accelerator program offering financial coaching.
These efforts are designed to build long-term career pathways into high-demand skilled trades fields across diverse communities.
