Nearly $8 million in grants will go to 10 community and technical colleges to support skilled trades workforce development initiatives.
The Lowe’s Foundation on Thursday announced the colleges receiving Gable Grants. The grants are the first in a five-year, $50 million commitment to help prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers. This investment will fund cutting-edge programs in appliance repair, carpentry, construction, electrical, HVAC and plumbing.
“These deserving schools are driving transformation in the skilled trades workforce through sustainable and inclusive career pathways. We had many outstanding applicants for these grants, which speaks to the urgency needed to increase the capacity for skilled trades labor nationwide,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation.
The Gable Grant recipients are:
- Coconino Community College (Arizona)
- Columbus Technical College (Georgia)
- Howard College – San Angelo (Texas)
- Ivy Tech Community College (Indiana)
- Madisonville Community College (Kentucky)
- Miami Dade College (Florida)
- MiraCosta College (California)
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Mississippi)
- Palm Beach State College (Florida)
- Southside Virginia Community College (Virginia)
Big plans
The grant recipients have big plans for the funding.
Columbus Technical College, for example, will expand its reach with a new mobile unit to bring skilled trades training opportunities to students in rural communities, justice-involved learners and transitioning service members. The college also plans to build a four-week fast-track “Construction Career Launch Program” bootcamp to prepare participants for entry-level skilled trades positions.
And Madisonville Community College will build a credential lattice between its electrical technology and HVAC programs that will allow students in a rural, five-county area to complete the combined programs in five or six semesters, rather than eight.
Palm Beach State College will expand its Construction Trade Center for Workforce Innovation to provide simulated trainings that create “real world” experiences and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will establish a construction trades training program for learners at a local correctional facility and provide scholarships and internships for students in its skilled trades training programs.
“The support for community and technical colleges provided by Gable Grants from the Lowe’s Foundation will enable the expansion of the innovative, responsive and in-demand skilled trades training offerings at the nation’s community colleges,” said Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. “This unique program will empower community colleges to scale existing programs, upgrade technology and infrastructure, establish new initiatives and increase their impact as they strive to meet the needs of their communities.”
The next Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants application cycle opens on August 1 and runs through September 1 for eligible community-based nonprofit organizations that offer skilled trades training.
