Foundations To Expand Skilled Training Scholarships

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Young black woman in hardhat and safety glasses represented a person who benefitted from the SkillPointe Foundation scholarship

ATLANTA —The SkillPointe Foundation, which provides scholarships for individuals of all backgrounds pursuing skills training for high-demand careers not requiring a four-year degree, is announcing a major new partnership with The Home Depot Foundation. The two Atlanta-based organizations will launch a scholarship program to impact lives by preparing workers to thrive in an ever-changing economy while also addressing the skills gap plaguing America.

The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro Scholarship by SkillPointe Foundation will grant $250,000 in financial assistance to high school seniors and graduates seeking skills training for high-demand jobs. Recipients will be selected on a quarterly basis and funded to pursue training in carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and construction management fields. Applications are now open at https://www.myscholarship.app/home-depot-foundation. These new scholarships are in addition to the monthly SkillPointe Scholarships the SkillPointe Foundation currently awards.

"We are thrilled to partner with The Home Depot Foundation, a national workforce development leader, to provide individuals with access to training to obtain valuable professional skills and pursue their aspirations," said Laura Petrucci, founder and board chair for The SkillPointe Foundation. "The SkillPointe Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation share a passion for promoting skilled professions and creating the workforce America needs to compete in the future.  We both look forward to impacting individual lives and ultimately families and entire communities, lifted up by professionals empowered with these valuable skills." 

The SkillPointe Foundation is affiliated with SkillPointe.com, a leading resource providing guidance on the best skilled professions, training options and local job openings. SkillPointe.com and The Home Depot, Inc., also have partnership to raise awareness of skilled trades and key job opportunities in the construction industry. 

"Today, two of three high school grads pursue a traditional four-year degree, but after two years nearly half leave college without any credentials or certifications, often because they started down the wrong path," said Todd Wilson, SkillPointe founder. "At the same time, there are many jobs employers struggle to fill that are very much in need, require a relatively low investment in training and pay very well. More people need to learn more about these amazing options."

About The SkillPointe Foundation

The SkillPointe Foundation exists to help create a future where skills-based careers are celebrated and rewarded while reducing the skilled talent shortage in America. The Foundation supports individuals pursuing high-demand career pathways that do not require a 4-year college degree by providing scholarships for students enrolling in community colleges and trade schools. The organization is affiliated with SkillPointe, a leading resource providing guidance on the best skilled professions, training options and local job openings.

About SkillPointe

SkillPointe celebrates and empowers all current and future skilled pros by connecting them with the fastest routes to greater economic opportunity that do not require a four-year college degree, including self-assessment tools, career insights, training programs and local job opportunities. SkillPointe is a one-stop resource with information about the most-in-demand careers in eight industries: Construction, Healthcare, Information Technology, Transportation, Energy, Manufacturing, Communications and Public Service. Visitors to SkillPointe will find more than 350,000 jobs updated daily and over 50,000 training programs at local community colleges, trade schools and employer-sponsored apprenticeships. To learn more, visit us at Skillpointe.com, or connect with us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, or Twitter.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap and support communities impacted by natural disasters. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $375 million in veteran causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. 

To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.

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