The Home Depot Foundation launched a new pilot program this Thursday aimed at introducing young people to skilled trades careers, partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address a growing labor shortage in construction and related fields.
At the Warren Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, dozens of volunteers worked with students during the program’s inaugural event. Middle and high school students built picnic tables, benches and Adirondack chairs for use around the club, while younger children in grades K-5 participated in a workshop to build piggy banks.
The initiative is part of a $10 million nationwide investment by The Home Depot Foundation to expand access to skilled trades training across Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix. The two-year pilot program aims to reach more than 1,000 youth.
“Less than 3% of young people and high schoolers consider a job in the skilled trades,” said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “There are these misperceptions that it’s dirty, that they don’t make a lot of money, things that really aren’t true.”
Izen, who has been with The Home Depot for 21 years, said the foundation’s goal is to show young people there are alternatives to traditional four-year college paths.
“We have a lot of youth that don’t know that there’s other options besides four year degrees and different careers where you can get dirty and use your hands,” she said. “For us, it’s important that we have youth like you have here at the Boys and Girls Club know that there are these wealth building careers and other options outside of just going to college.”
The program addresses a critical workforce shortage. The United States currently has about 400,000 open jobs requiring skilled plumbers, carpenters, electricians and HVAC specialists. That number is projected to reach 3.9 million in the next decade, according to foundation officials.
“The United States has a big problem where we have a growing skilled labor gap,” Izen said. “It’s 400,000 open jobs today, projected to be 3.9 million in the next 10 years, and that’s got a big impact on our economy.”
Marlon Montgomery, vice president of youth development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, said the partnership focuses on exposing young people to career opportunities they might not otherwise consider.
“Our programs are centered around exposure opportunities,” said Montgomery, who has been with the organization for just over two years. “We say that we ignite unlimited potential in kids and teens by providing these types of opportunities.”
Montgomery emphasized the importance of hands-on learning in changing perceptions about skilled trades careers.
“Sometimes our kids aren’t thinking about this opportunity, and so today’s really about exposing our kids and teens to the potential, looking ahead in their future, building bright futures through hands-on learning,” he said.
The Atlanta native expressed enthusiasm about the program’s potential impact: “I hope they have fun. I hope their brains and minds are opened up to an opportunity with skills trade, and hey, I hope they become fans of Home Depot, because we certainly are.”
Rob Armstrong, director of life and workforce readiness at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, brought a decade of workforce development experience to the partnership. The San Diego native, who moved to Atlanta in 2021, said the program addresses a critical need in communities.
“Previous to Boys and Girls Club of America, I worked in workforce development for roughly about 10 years, and getting into this work really dives deeper into the need of what is needed in our community,” Armstrong said. “Being able to get young people the exposure that they need or that they want to have different careers in different sectors.”
The initiative builds on The Home Depot Foundation’s existing Path to Pro program, which has operated since 2018 with a $50 million commitment to skilled trades training. Since its launch, the program has introduced more than 490,000 people to skilled trades professions and trained more than 60,000 participants, including youth, high school students and military veterans.
“So far, we’ve introduced over half a million people, and we have trained over 60,000 people in the skilled trades, and we don’t see it stopping anytime soon,” Izen said.
Thursday’s event marked the beginning of regular programming that will continue throughout the two-year partnership. The program is designed with age-appropriate activities, with elementary students focusing on basic building skills through projects like the piggy banks, while middle and high school students tackle more complex carpentry and construction tasks.
The Warren Club serves hundreds of children and teens annually, providing programming during after-school hours. The Home Depot Foundation has committed to investing $750 million in veteran causes by 2030 and continues its focus on disaster relief and skilled trades education.
