Blue Ridge Community College has been awarded a $500K Gable Grant from Lowe’s Foundation to build out hands-on skilled trades training. 

The Lowe’s Foundation announced 12 new Gable Grants for community and technical colleges to help solve America’s critical skilled trades worker shortage. This includes a $500K grant for Blue Ridge Community College to support ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts through expanded training for advanced manufacturing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and construction apprenticeships. The grant will help Blue Ridge hire certified instructors and offer tuition support to students from across Western North Carolina.

The funding expands the foundation’s nationwide network of Gable Grants recipients to 60 organizations, each delivering scalable pathways into high-demand trades careers.

Through expanded training, grants to this cohort will help build the next generation of skilled tradespeople at a time when the industry needs it the most. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the skilled labor gap drives a $10 billion annual economic loss in the housing industry.

“Collectively, we are writing a comeback story for the skilled trades industry,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Through our Gable Grants network, these schools join a community of innovators helping one another effectively recruit, train and employ the people America needs to revitalize our infrastructure.”

Since launching the Gable Grants program in 2023, the foundation has invested $43 million across 28 states. The grants are part of a five-year, $50 million commitment to help community and technical colleges and nonprofits recruit, train and prepare 50,000 trades professionals across carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and property maintenance.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Lowe’s Foundation for this investment in our workforce and the skilled trades that are vital to strengthening and rebuilding our community,” said Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood, president of Blue Ridge Community College. “As Western North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, the Gable Grant helps students prepare for essential careers that will enable them to support their families while contributing to the region’s long-term resilience.”

Source: Blue Ridge Community College/Lowe's Foundation.