The Lowe's Foundation awarded $850,000 to Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) as part of today's seelct group of communty and technical colleges receiving Gable Grants. Since awarding its first grants one year ago, the foundation has expanded skilled trades career pathways through its growing network of 35 community colleges and nonprofits in rural and urban communities.
Launched in 2023 to address challenges in the skilled trades workforce, the Gable Grants Program will significantly enhance BRCC’s technical programs by establishing a new plumbing training program and creating a state-of-the-art Construction Trades Outdoor Learning Lab. This facility will simulate real-world construction scenarios, allowing students to deepen their understanding of theoretical concepts while honing practical skills. Equipped with essential resources, the lab will enrich the educational experience and offer hands-on training opportunities to help students succeed in their fields. By establishing this innovative learning lab, BRCC aims to enhance education, foster innovation, and empower the next generation of skilled trades workers.
"With enrollments rising at vocationally focused schools, these community colleges are blossoming arenas for entrepreneurship and economic mobility," said Janice Dupre, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources and chair of Lowe's Foundation. "Each college has a clear inspired vision for closing the trades gap in its community, and we're pleased to welcome them to our larger movement."
“We are thankful to the Lowe’s Foundation for selecting Baton Rouge Community College as one of only eleven institutions nationwide to receive the prestigious Gable Grant,” said BRCC Chancellor Dr. Willie E. Smith, Sr. “This generous support from the Lowe’s Foundation is a tremendous investment in BRCC that will impact our broader community while serving as a testament to the work we continue to do to support individuals in skilled craft trainings, and allow us to build a state-of-the-art Construction Management Outdoor Training Learning Lab.”
From funding new skilled trades facilities and instructors to accreditation programs, the grants will support carpentry and construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and appliance repair training. These grants build on the foundation’s first cohort of community college Gable Grants announced in 2023 and are the latest in the Lowe’s Foundation’s five-year, $50 million commitment to support the training of 50,000 people for skilled trades careers.
Since 2023, the Lowe’s Foundation has awarded more than $25 million in Gable Grants to 35 organizations offering innovative and scalable skilled trades training across the U.S.
The next Gable Grant application cycle for community-based nonprofits will run from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31. To learn more about the pressing challenges facing the skilled trades, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.
For more information about BRCC and its skilled trades programs, visit mybrcc.edu.
About the Lowe’s Foundation:
The Lowe’s Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW), is helping develop a community of skilled tradespeople to build and revitalize our homes, neighborhoods and infrastructure for the future. From 2023 through 2027, the Lowe’s Foundation is investing $50 million to help prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers through grants to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofit organizations and national nonprofit partners with a strong local presence. To learn more about the Lowe's Foundation, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.