To address the skilled labor gap, The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation are both committed to growing the next generation of tradespeople by introducing 15 million people to the skilled trades by 2032. Our efforts are divided into two key areas:
- The Home Depot's free, digital platform for training and job networking.
- The Home Depot Foundation's community and scholarship programs.
1. The Home Depot: The Digital Platform & Network
The Home Depot has built a free digital platform, PathtoPro.com, to provide resources for anyone interested in a trades career. These company-led initiatives include:
- NEW! Path to Pro Skills Explorers: A free, facilitator-led youth program designed for ages 11–17. Through engaging videos, turnkey lesson plans, and hands-on activities, students can explore skilled trades careers and build real-world skills.
- Path to Pro Skills Program: Free, on-demand virtual training for individuals looking to build foundational trade skills and prepare for a career in the skilled trades. Available to participants age 16 and older, the program allows learners to explore various trades at their own pace.
- Path to Pro Network: A free networking platform for individuals age 18 and older that connects skilled job seekers directly with The Home Depot's Pro customers who are actively hiring. Job seekers can build profiles while Pros can post and manage jobs.
- Online Resources: A digital library of resources for students, parents, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about career opportunities in the skilled trades.
To learn more about these free digital resources, visit PathtoPro.com
2. The Home Depot Foundation: Building the Next Generation of Skilled Tradespeople
The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro initiative offers training and hands-on experience, scholarships and entrepreneurship programming to youth, high school students, underserved communities and separating service members.
Our Mission: The Home Depot Foundation is focused on preparing more people for careers in the skilled trades. Through our partnerships with leading industry organizations like Home Builders Institute (HBI), Construction Ready, and SkillPointe Foundation, we are training the next generation of tradespeople.
Since 2018, the Foundation's partnerships have certified more than 70,000 participants and introduced more than 700,000 people to the skilled trades, surpassing our initial commitment six years ahead of schedule.
Our Foundation Programs:
- Path to Pro Military Program: In partnership with HBI, this program provides exiting service members with an industry-recognized pre-apprenticeship certification (PACT) at 10 U.S. military bases.
- Path to Pro High School & Youth Program: In partnership with HBI and Construction Ready, this program offers curriculum and hands-on training to high school students and youth.
- Path to Pro Academy Program: This program offers training and certification for diverse adult populations and underserved communities.
- Path to Pro Scholarship Program: In partnership with SkillPointe Foundation, this program awards scholarships to students pursuing a trade college or postsecondary program.
- Path to Pro Education Grants: This program grants up to $10,000 to accredited K-12 programs, accredited post-secondary institutions (community and technical colleges) and nonprofit organizations focused on construction skilled trades training across the U.S.
