Let's Close the Trade Skill Gap
With an estimated 10 million global manufacturing jobs currently unfilled, the trade skill gap is an urgent challenge. That’s why we’re committing up to $25 million in grant money over five years to nonprofits – helping fund important vocational skills training and reskilling programs in construction and manufacturing. Together we can close the trade skill gap and help people build what matters.


2023 Women in Construction Week
She Built This City Builds Pathways to Success
See how this Impact Challenge Grant Recipient is giving women the tools to succeed in the construction industry through their 8-week, pre-apprenticeship training program.
Learn More
Announcing Our 2022 Makers Grant Recipients
For the second year of our Global Impact Challenge, we selected 91 out of an impressive field of 182 applicants to receive grant funding. Stay tuned to see the impact each will make in helping to skill and reskill over 200,000 makers throughout 2023.
Download PR Toolkit2021 Makers Grant Winners
In our first year, the Empower Makers Global Impact Challenge awarded $3M in grants supporting 86 nonprofit organizations (59 cash grants and 29 tool donation grants), tracking to benefit 180,000 future makers.

Hope Renovations
Women’s Trades Training Program

Philidelphia Academies Inc.
PACT Program

M.A.G.N.E.T.
Manufacturing Advocacy Growth & Network Inc.

Workshops for Warriors
Manufacturing Training for Veterans

Helmets to Hardhats
Skilled Training for Veterans

Kids Making It
Skilled Trades Program in NC
Making a Difference
Hope Renovations: 2021 Maker Grant Recipient

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[music]
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We are a nonprofit that runs
a training program that
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runs a training program that
empowers women and
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non-binary folks into
careers in construction.
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We all know that there is
a critical worker gap
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in this industry.
On top of that,
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there's a major gender gap.
Women only make up
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about 10% of the industry,
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and tradeswomen
only make up about 3%.
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The people actually doing the work,
they're not women,
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and that's what we're trying to
change.
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Hope Renovations brings a lot of
accessibility to trades training.
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A lot of folks,
including myself
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feel a little bit overwhelmed
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going into your standard
trades course.
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I get to work with a wonderful cohort
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of women and gender-diverse folks
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to really build my confidence
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in my skills before I have to
go out into that industry.
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Yes. When I do graduate
Hope Renovations,
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I do want to immediately start into
the trades still
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because it's better pay
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and what I make right now
is not enough.
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For women,
we don't get paid as much.
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In the trades,
a woman gets paid a lot more.
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The very best part of my job is
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watching the transformation that
happens
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for people that come into
our program,
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a lot of times,
not having ever slung a hammer
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or having very little understanding
of construction or the trades,
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and they're just taking
a chance because they see
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an opportunity for a better life.
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It's honestly hard to put into words.
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I was empowered,
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I gained confidence,
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really became passionate about
construction.
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I did not think that
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I just thought it was like,
"Hey, I'll do this,
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it's free, it's in my hometown,"
kind of thing,
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and it turned into this whole
pushing me into a different career,
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just helping my whole life.
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Having a trusted name and
a trusted partner
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like Stanley Black & Decker
behind you
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makes all the difference
in the world.
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Backing us and saying, "Hey,
we believe in what you're doing.
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We like what you're doing and
we want to see more of this,"
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that really helps us grow and
it helps us expand
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our impact in the community.
The Trades Are in Demand
Right now, there is a high demand for skilled jobs and a shortage of skilled labor. To close this trade skill deficit, we need to better understand the barriers keeping people from the trades and the gap itself. Explore these links to learn more.
15M
New Jobs
85%
Young People
10M
Manufacturing Jobs
$65K
Average Pay
(1) SkillPointe, (2) The Makers Index, (3) World Economic Forum/Deloitte, (4) Generation T