The Lowe’s Foundation announced the launch of a U.S. cross-sector skilled trades coalition called the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition, which aims to train and develop 1 million skilled tradespeople by 2035. This initiative is backed by more than 75 educators, companies, and organizations, including Nvidia, AT&T, Bank of America, Carrier, General Motors, DeWalt, and Duke Energy.
The move comes amid a significant skilled trades labor shortage in the U.S., with the U.S. Department of Education estimating that 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled by 2030, potentially resulting in economic losses of up to $1 trillion annually.
They outlined three main objectives: change the perception of the skilled trade industry, invest in training and credentialing solutions, and measure progress by establishing shared benchmarks.
According to the announcement, the coalition will challenge outdated narratives that position college as the default path to success and bring its stakeholders together to address workforce challenges and amplify solutions that work.
The initiative will also track the outcome of its work across multiple industries, including construction, automotive manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, HVAC, technology, and financial services, so individuals can translate their training and credentials into meaningful, long-term careers.
Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement, “The next industrial revolution won’t be built by algorithms alone. It will be built by the millions of skilled trade professionals who power, connect and move this country forward.”
John Stankey, AT&T Chairman and CEO, added, “As AI work and other emerging technologies become more deeply embedded in everyday life, the resilient broadband networks that underpin them will be more important than ever — and those networks can’t be built or maintained without skilled workers.”
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Harry Sideris, president and CEO of Duke Energy, noted, “America’s future depends on a strong pipeline of skilled workers, and no single company can meet that need alone. By working together across industries, they can create more pathways into rewarding careers, strengthen their communities and build the workforce needed to support the nation’s growing infrastructure and energy needs.”
The Lowe’s Foundation’s Gable Grants program, launched in 2023, is now scaling skilled trades training programs across 73 community colleges and nonprofits in 30 states, and the foundation has committed to training an additional 250,000 tradespeople by 2035 via a $250 million investment.
The newly announced initiative will build on that expansion.
It will use case studies, pilot programs, playbooks, and other existing market insights to address workforce challenges and amplify solutions that work.
The coalition’s efforts will be closely watched by industry leaders and policymakers.
The success of the initiative will depend on the ability of the coalition to bring its stakeholders together and track the outcome of its work across multiple industries.
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