Since launching the Path to Pro program in 2018, The Home Depot Foundation has trained over 29,000 tradespeople and introduced more than 126,000 people to skilled trades. With an initial goal of 20,000 people in 10 years and a $50 million commitment, the foundation has now granted an additional $3.7 million to industry-leading partners such as Home Builders Institute (HBI), Construction Ready, and SkillPointe Foundation.
“We’re thrilled to have surpassed our initial goal early, and we’re just getting started,” says Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “There’s still a great need for skilled tradespeople, and we’ll continue to invest in the innovative programs that our best-in-class partners have created.”
While addressing the more than 400,000 open skilled trade jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the program is expanding its no-cost training opportunities to youth, high school students, underserved communities, and separating U.S. military service members.
Currently, the high school and youth programs offer curriculum and hands-on training to students in more than 270 schools across 33 states. The scholarship program has awarded over 125 scholarships so far to students pursing a trade college or post-secondary program. For adults, its academy program offers training and certifications.
The new $3.7 million in funding will support youth programming with 100 Black Men of America; develop an additional academy program in Houston; and add $300,000 in trades school scholarships. “Through its extraordinary commitment, The Home Depot Foundation is maximizing the impact of training and workforce development on thousands of lives,” says Ed Brady, HBI president and CEO. “Together we are building the emerging generation of skilled workers in the construction trades.”
From its start, the Path to Pro military program has provided nearly 1,200 exiting service members with industry-recognized pre-apprenticeship certifications through 10 U.S. military bases each year. As the nonprofit arm of The Home Depot, The Home Depot Foundation aims to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, support communities impacted by natural disasters, and train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap.
