Lowe’s invests $250 million into training skilled trade workers
- Mark Parker
- May 12
- 2 min read
While many corporations invest billions into artificial intelligence, home improvement behemoth Lowe’s is betting on blue-collar workers.
CEO Marvin Ellison recently announced that Lowe’s is committing $250 million to help train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035. The construction industry needs 349,000 new workers to meet demand this year, according to estimates from the Associated Builders and Contractors.
Ellison subsequently told Fortune that Lowe’s “believes strongly” in the future of artificial intelligence (AI), which will increasingly impact administrative and analytical occupations. “We think the skilled trades initiative is going to be even more important here in the near future,” he added.
“As powerful as AI will become, AI can’t climb a ladder to change the batteries in your smoke detector,” Ellison said. “It can’t change your furnace filter, it can’t clean your dryer vent, it can’t repair a hole on your roof.”
In 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation announced a $50 million, five-year commitment to help train 50,000 skilled tradespeople. The company has since invested in 65 partner organizations and is on track to reach its initial goal by 2027, a year early.
The foundation, through its Gable Grants initiative, is now expanding partnerships with nonprofits and community colleges nationwide to increase trade program capacity, reduce training barriers, and recruit new participants. Stakeholders will prioritize job placement, career advancement opportunities to bolster employee retention, and long-term sustainability, according to the announcement.
“Three years ago, we set out to lead an ambitious workforce movement in a pivotal moment - and it’s taken off faster than we imagined,” Ellison said in a prepared statement. “American prosperity is at stake, and we are partnering to solve the workforce gap with a growing force of educators, employers, and policymakers who understand local needs.”
The foundation is enhancing its CareerStart platform, a free service that directly connects job seekers with employment and educational opportunities. Reaching disengaged youth - young people ages 16 to 24 who are not currently in school or working - is a focus.
“Building Back America’s Trades,” a three-part television series produced by the foundation that showcases aspiring skilled tradespeople and their mentors, recently debuted on HBO Max and Discovery +. Ellison believes people should choose a career path based on their natural interests and skill sets rather than outside pressure.
Business leaders, including himself, “need to do a better job of presenting skilled trades as rewarding, viable careers - not just backup plans,” Ellison said. “This is going to be so critical to the future, not only of our company, but to our country.”
For more information about the Lowe’s Foundation and its Gable Grants program, visit the website here.
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