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Key Takeaways Lowe’s is committing $250 million over several years to expand training for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and other skilled trades.
The funds flow into programs like tuition-free training.
CEO Marvin Ellison frames the trades as “even more important… in the near future,” arguing that hands-on roles are resilient to AI and automation.
As AI shakes up white-collar work, skilled trades are starting to look like the smarter bet for steady, high-paying work — and Lowe’s is leaning into that future.
The home improvement company recently told Fortune that its foundation plans to invest $250 million over the next decade to train 250,000 skilled trades professionals in the U.S. in fields such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical work. The money flows through the Lowe’s Foundation into community colleges and nonprofits, funding tuition-free training, credentials and modern equipment.
The company had previously committed more than $50 million to nonprofits and community college programs, but CEO Marvin Ellison said that evolving workforce dynamics have made higher investments in U.S. skilled-trade education even more critical and timely.
“We’re 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,” Ellison said.
Marvin Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of Lowe’s. Photographer: Lauren Justice/Bloomberg
He pointed out that AI has its limits — it can code, draft emails and crunch numbers, but it can’t show up to your door to fix a leaky pipe.
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