Home center giant Lowe’s is taking direct aim at the shortage of new talent in the skilled trades by offering its employees financial support for their education in the trades, according to the company’s “Inside Lowe’s” blog.
The post cites U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that demand for people in the skilled trades is growing faster than employment overall. The company projects the United States will experience a skilled trades gap of more than half a million jobs across construction-related fields by 2026.
In an effort to help address the problem, Lowe’s announced it will be launching a new program focused on investing in employees and the skilled trades industry. Beginning March 1, Lowe’s will kick off “Track to the Trades”, a pilot program in Charlotte, NC; Denver; Pittsburgh; and Richmond, VA, aimed at providing financial support for employees who want to pursue a skilled trade. The program will be supported in partnership with Guild Education, an education network for working adults.
Lowe’s is offering employees upfront tuition funding for trade skill certification, academic coaching and support, placement opportunities for full-time pre-apprenticeships in Lowe’s nationwide contractor network or continued growth in the company itself.
“The trade profession is a high-demand, high-opportunity field for the next generation workforce, and today, there is a massive unmet need,” Jennifer Weber, Lowe’s’ chief human resource officer, is quoted as saying. “With Track to the Trades, we are providing unique career alternatives for our associates while also building a pipeline for the next generation of skilled trade workers, allowing us to better meet the demands of customers while creating long-term educational benefits and economic opportunity for our people,” said Weber.
By the end of 2018, Lowe’s plans to take the program nationwide, offering it to all qualified Lowe’s part-time and full-time employees. Eligible employees will receive up to $2,500 to gain a certification and serve as a pre-apprentice in carpentry, HVAC, electrical, plumbing or appliance repair careers. Pre-apprenticeships take roughly six to 10 months and those in the program will also be given enrollment guidance and a field mentor.
