Four different organizations are providing funding to support the construction and trade training program offered by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. CTE, Stanley Black & Decker, Lowe’s Foundation and Ally Charitable Foundation all recently awarded grants to the program, totaling $375,000.
“It’s really exciting to receive these grants,” said Marvin Kelley, director of Construction & Trade Training for Goodwill. “I think this is our third iteration of funding with the Lowe’s Foundation, so the fact that they’re continually willing to invest, shows the level of will for our program.”
Grants include $75,000 each from CTE and Stanley Black & Decker, $200,000 from the Lowe’s Foundation and $25,000 from Ally Charitable Foundation.
Donations and shopping at Goodwill retail locations help fund the nonprofit’s mission of providing career training and wraparound services to community members, in programs like construction, free of charge! This additional funding for the construction program will support the increased costs of instruction, materials and equipment for the in-demand program.
“Because so much of our course work is hands-on, we’re trying to constantly ensure that we have the equipment, materials and the projects that allow our participants to get the training necessary so that when they walk on a job site, they look like, and feel like, they’ve been there,” Kelley added.
The Goodwill Construction Skills Training Center was opened in 2019 to create a pathway for upward mobility through the trades, while also addressing the labor shortage of local construction companies. Since then, the Goodwill program has graduated hundreds of adult students, increased its list of employer partners and has begun to create a pipeline of talent to local construction companies.
“In May, there were 36,000 new jobs added in construction. In April, there were 494,000 openings, up 40 percent from the prior year. So, there’s a huge demand for our programs,” Kelley explained.
The need for labor in the industry is the reason Stanley Black & Decker has made vocational skills training a priority through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission.
“Our purpose is to support ‘Those Who Make the World,’ and being able to fund educational programs and nonprofits that are revitalizing trade careers directly connects to our core mission. By helping provide a pathway for trade professionals, we are also setting our sights on constructing a better future that can uplift the hardworking tradespeople who build our world to meet the ever-changing needs of society,” said Stanley Black & Decker’s Vice President of Social Impact, Diane Cantello.
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is one of 59 organizations selected to receive funding from Stanley Black & Decker to enable vital trade skills training and reskilling programs in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
We encourage you to learn more about construction skills training and other training courses offered through Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.
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