MOORESVILLE, N.C. (OBV) — The Lowe’s Foundation announced nearly $8 million in new grants to expand skilled-trades training at 10 community and technical colleges across the country.
The new awards bring the foundation’s total investment in skilled-trades workforce development to more than $60 million since 2023. Its network now includes 73 workforce organizations across 30 states.
The grants will support training in high-demand fields including electrical work, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, carpentry, and construction. Programs will also use mobile laboratories, bilingual instruction, employer partnerships, and other hands-on approaches to expand access to training.
Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, or WSU Tech, was among the recipients. The school will use its grant to create an outdoor live laboratory and tiny-home construction program that simulates a real jobsite.
Students in construction, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing programs will work together on the projects while earning industry-recognized credentials and gaining experience in a multi-trade environment.
Other grant recipients will expand training capacity, equipment, scholarships, rural access, employer-connected instruction, and work-based learning programs.
The grants are part of the Lowe’s Foundation’s broader commitment to invest $250 million and help train 250,000 skilled-trades workers by 2035.
The foundation said an estimated 2.1 million skilled-trades jobs could go unfilled by 2030, potentially creating up to $1 trillion in annual economic losses.
