Home Depot focuses on skilled trades

The Home Depot Foundation announced an incremental investment of more than $6 million in skilled trades training and launched new strategic partnerships to address the nearly 400,000 job openings across the construction industry.

“Diversifying our approach with additional entrepreneurship and scholarship programs helps ensure we’re reaching more communities with free training opportunities and creating sustainable change for the industry,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director for the Home Depot Foundation.

[Related article: Home Depot forms skilled trades training partnership.]

To serve aspiring entrepreneurs within the skilled trades industry, The Home Depot Foundation said it is partnering with Bunker Labs to introduce an entrepreneurship program designed to guide U.S. military veterans and military spouses through the process of establishing a successful business foundation.

During the 8-week program, participants will gain industry-specific mentorship, learn about market segmentation, how to address specific customer profiles and design a business plan for launch.

The program’s virtual offering makes it accessible to participants nationwide.

The Foundation said it is also expanding its Path to Pro scholarship program with grants to SkillPointe Foundation, its partner since 2021, and through a new partnership with Folds of Honor.

The retailer said that, “military scholarships through Folds of Honor extend financial support to qualifying veterans and military family members entering or enrolled in accredited skilled trade schools.”

With these philanthropic grants, the Foundation said its Path to Pro program launched a brand new entrepreneurship program and will provide free, skilled trades training and scholarships for more veterans, military families, high school students and separating service members.