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For decades, young people were told to go to college, with white-collar jobs like coding cast as the future. But as AI disrupts that career path, skilled trades are emerging as a more resilient route to stable, well-paying work\u2014and Lowe\u2019s is betting heavily in that future.<\/p>\n
The home improvement giant exclusively told Fortune that\u00a0its foundation is investing $250 million over the next decade to help train 250,000 skilled trades workers in fields like plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work. The company had previously committed over $50 million to nonprofits and community college partners, but according to Lowe\u2019s CEO Marvin Ellison, the shifting dynamics of the workforce have made skilled-trade funding essential to the country\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a company that believes strongly in the future of AI, but in a world where administrative and analytical occupations are going to be increasingly dominated with the acceleration of AI, we think the skilled trades initiative is going to be even more important here in the near future,\u201d Ellison told Fortune.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AI, he noted, has clear limits. It can write code, draft emails, and analyze spreadsheets\u2014but it can\u2019t show up to fix what\u2019s broken or build the physical infrastructure, such as data centers, that powers the future digital economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs powerful as AI will become, AI can\u2019t climb a ladder to change the batteries in your smoke detector,\u201d Ellison added. \u201cIt can\u2019t change your furnace filter; it can\u2019t clean your dryer vent; it can\u2019t repair a hole on your roof.\u201d<\/p>\n
That urgency is underscored by a growing labor gap. The Associated Builders and Contractors estimates the U.S. will need roughly 350,000 additional workers in 2026 to meet demand for construction services alone\u2014a figure that rises to 456,000 in 2027. Electricians, plumbers, and carpenters are facing similarly steep shortages. While demand is strong and wages are rising, the training pipeline hasn\u2019t kept pace.<\/p>\n
The college-skilled trades divide was a personal one for Lowe\u2019s CEO<\/p>\n
For Ellison, the shifting dynamics of the workforce is deeply personal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee\u2014a small town northeast of Memphis\u2014where he said the message was clear: go to college to achieve the American dream. Yet many of the most respected professionals in his community were tradespeople\u2014plumbers, electricians, and mechanics who owned their own businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was taught growing up that it was important for me to go to college because that was the way I could achieve the American dream,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ellison went on to earn a business degree from the University of Memphis and an MBA from Emory University. His brother took a different route, attending vocational school and building a career as a welder. But for too long, Ellison added, careers like his brother\u2019s have been treated as second-tier options.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not that one option is better or worse; it\u2019s all about that there are different paths to trying to obtain prosperity, and we all, me included, need to do a better job of presenting skilled trades as rewarding, viable careers, not just backup plans,\u201d he said. \u201cThese trades are really a way to create meaningful wealth for yourself, and it\u2019s a way to earn a very dignified living, and you can do it with a lot less debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
That shift is already happening inside Lowe\u2019s. Ellison noted that even some of the company\u2019s top executives are steering their children toward trade careers instead of four-year degrees, drawn by the strong earning potential and the rising cost of college.<\/p>\n
Ellison\u2019s advice to young people is simple: don\u2019t be afraid to use your hands\u2014but follow a path that fits your skills and interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t succumb to peer pressure that one career is better, more impressive, or more valuable than another,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChoose your career path, not from pressure around what you think is the most valuable career or most prestigious, but choose it based on your natural interest in your skill set.\u201d<\/p>\n
From diesel mechanic to carpentry entrepreneur\u00a0<\/p>\n
The skilled trades have offered Cleveland Roberts more than stability\u2014they\u2019ve brought him independence.<\/p>\n
Roberts graduated from the carpentry and cabinetry program at Columbus Technical College\u2014which received a grant from the Lowe\u2019s Foundation\u2014while working full time as a diesel mechanic. In 2024, he won a gold medal in cabinetmaking at the state level in the SkillsUSA competition. Today, he runs his own business, CR Woodworx, in Columbus, Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized I wanted a career where I could build something tangible, work with my hands, and have more control over my future,\u201d he told Fortune. \u201cCarpentry stood out because it offered both creative satisfaction and a clear pathway to entrepreneurship.\u201d<\/p>\n
The path isn\u2019t without its challenges, Roberts added. Running a business takes discipline, careful time management, and the ability to balance the craft itself with the demands of operating a company\u2014from client relationships to finances and scheduling. The work can also be physically taxing, and staying ahead requires constantly honing your skills. Collectively, though, it opens doors to what he calls a more \u201cfulfilling long-term path.\u201d<\/p>\n
But for every success story like Roberts\u2019, Ellison said scaling that kind of opportunity will take a broader push. He pointed to BlackRock\u2019s $100 million investment announced earlier this year as a step in the right direction. Google has also invested $15 million and partnered with the Electrical Training Alliance to expand the pipeline of electricians.<\/p>\n
Still, more needs to be done. Without it, the shortage of skilled trades workers risks becoming not just an economic challenge, but a broader national one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know we can\u2019t do it alone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be so critical to the future, not only of our company, but to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
#Lowes #investing #million #train #plumbers #carpenters #electricians<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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