The Home Depot Foundation Invests $10 Million in Skilled Trades Training, Launches Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America

New Path to Pro grants will expand opportunities for K-12 students, separating service members, military families and others pursuing careers in skilled trades

ATLANTA, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As students nationwide return to school, The Home Depot Foundation is investing $10 million to broaden access to skilled trades training and education. This investment includes a new $1 million partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), designed to introduce more young people to career opportunities in the construction trades.

Through the Foundation's Path to Pro program – focused on helping to fill the skilled labor gap – the partnership with BGCA launches a two-year pilot in Boys & Girls Clubs across Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston that will introduce more than a thousand children and teens to careers in carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing. Integrated within Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Life & Workforce Readiness Program, Club members will learn new skills, gain hands-on experiences and have opportunities to apply their skills by working alongside Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate volunteer force, on community-based projects.

"The skilled trades offer some of the most promising career paths, yet many young people either aren't aware of or lack access to these opportunities," said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. "This investment in our Path to Pro nonprofit partners – including our new partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America – empowers students to hone these new skills while also strengthening the future of the construction industry."

Despite approximately 400,000 job openings in the skilled construction trades, only a small fraction of young workers entering the labor market express interest in pursuing careers in these fields. A study by Home Builders Institute (HBI) and the University of Denver projects this workforce gap could cost the residential construction industry $10.8 billion due to longer build times and a loss of production on single-family homes. With many skilled trades workers retiring in the coming decade, early exposure to these careers is vital to build a sustainable pipeline of talent.

"At Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we're committed to helping young people explore meaningful opportunities that set them up for success," said Jennifer Bateman, senior vice president of youth development. "This partnership with The Home Depot Foundation opens doors to skilled trades careers, empowering thousands of youth to discover their potential and build great futures."

Beyond the partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, this investment also helps expand programming with existing partners, such as HBI, which will use funds to grow its pre-apprenticeship certification to nearly 2,000 more high school students and 25 additional schools; continue its initiative with 100 Black Men of America; and maintain its military transition programs focused on trades training, certification and job placement.

New grants will also support separating service members, military families and veterans, such as through Folds of Honor scholarships for those entering or enrolling in accredited trade schools. Construction Ready and SkillPointe Foundation will also receive funding for classroom and hands-on training and scholarships that will help pave the way for students pursuing careers in the skilled trades.  

These Foundation initiatives co-exist alongside the company's Path to Pro programs, including the free online Skills Program and the Path to Pro Network, which now has a database of more than 65,000 candidates seeking employment in the skilled trades.  

About The Home Depot Foundation 

The Home Depot Foundation, a nonprofit supported by The Home Depot (NYSE: HD), works 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. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $550 million in veteran causes and improved more than 65,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest $750 million in veteran causes by 2030 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program by 2028. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation. 

About Path to Pro

In the U.S., there are more than 400,000 open construction jobs today, a number that is only growing. Through the Path to Pro Program, The Home Depot Foundation offers free training opportunities and scholarships to introduce youth, underserved communities and separating U.S. military servicemembers to meaningful careers in plumbing, carpentry, electrical and HVAC. Additionally, The Home Depot connects skilled tradespeople to construction job openings and offers free, virtual classes on careers in the trades. For more information, visit PathtoPro.com.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,500 Clubs serve more than 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and LinkedIn.  

For more information, visit corporate.homedepot.com.

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SOURCE The Home Depot Foundation