Home Depot Foundation Expands Path to Pro Education Grants Nationwide With $1 Million

With an estimated 300,000 construction jobs currently unfilled and 41% of the existing workforce projected to retire by 2031, The Home Depot Foundation moved to accelerate the pipeline of skilled tradespeople, announcing on March 10 a nationwide rollout of its Path to Pro Education Grants backed by an initial $1 million commitment for 2026.

The grants, capped at $10,000 per organization, are available to accredited K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofit organizations that already operate construction skilled trades programs. Funds can be used to modernize training spaces or purchase tools and equipment to enhance skilled construction trades training and certification offerings. Applications are being accepted now and will be evaluated on a rolling basis, with no fixed deadline published.

The program builds on a pilot run last year in Southern California, where the Foundation funded training programs specifically to support rebuilding efforts following the region's devastating wildfires. That geographically limited test has now expanded to communities across the country.

The grants sit within Path to Pro, The Home Depot Foundation's broader $50 million initiative targeting the construction labor gap. That larger program funds free training opportunities and scholarships through nonprofit partners, with a focus on youth, underserved communities, and separating U.S. military servicemembers pursuing careers in plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, and HVAC. In partnership with SkillPointe Foundation, the Path to Pro scholarship program has already awarded more than 345 scholarships to students enrolled in trade college or postsecondary programs nationwide.

The labor math behind the investment is stark. Beyond the 300,000 jobs currently open, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.1 million construction positions will need to be filled over the next decade. New research the Foundation conducted with Morning Consult adds a disaster-resilience dimension to the shortage: 60% of professional contractors working on disaster-related projects report difficulty hiring skilled labor, and more than half of Americans rebuilding after a disaster say the process has taken longer than expected.

"As the skilled trades industry faces a massive retirement cliff over the next decade, The Home Depot Foundation is providing funding to help schools and skilled trades training organizations make the physical improvements they need to attract and retain the next generation of skilled tradespeople," the Foundation stated in its announcement. "This initial $1 million investment fuels critical tool and resource upgrades for 'shop classes,' empowering students to join the future construction workforce."

Eligible organizations can find application information at PathtoPro.com.