Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison appeared on Fox & Friends with Lawrence Jones to discuss how inflation is affecting consumer spending on home improvement projects, and he outlined Lowe’s plan to train one million tradespeople by 2035.
With skilled workers in demand nationwide, the Lowe’s Foundation is supporting a new initiative to create more pathways to high‑paying skilled‑trade careers that do not require a four‑year college degree.
On Wednesday, Ellison joined Fox & Friends co‑host Lawrence Jones to talk about the company’s push to grow the skilled‑trades workforce and shift perceptions about careers outside the traditional four‑year degree route.
Lowe’s is backing a new initiative aimed at expanding America’s skilled‑trades workforce and creating more pathways to high‑paying careers without a four‑year degree. (Tim Boyle / Getty Images)
Ellison announced that Lowe’s is launching the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition, which aims to train and develop one million people for skilled‑trade careers—such as plumbing, electrical work, welding, and HVAC—by 2035.
“These are great jobs. These are six‑figure positions… You don’t need a four‑year degree to enjoy one of these remarkable careers,” Ellison said.
Lowe’s is launching a major effort to help close America’s skilled‑trades gap.
The initiative builds on existing work by the Lowe’s Foundation, which has pledged $250 million to train 250,000 tradespeople by 2035, but Ellison noted that meeting the broader workforce challenge will require wider industry participation.
He said the coalition has already attracted partners such as NVIDIA, Bank of America, General Motors, and AT&T, and plans to invest in training and credentialing programs offered by community colleges and nonprofits while also helping connect graduates with open positions.
Ellison added that a key goal of the effort is to challenge the notion that a college degree is the only path to professional success.
“We’re going to change the perception that a four‑year degree is the only way to succeed in this country,” Ellison said.
Ellison tied the initiative to his personal story, noting that his father never finished high school and describing his own rise to CEO of two Fortune 500 companies as an embodiment of the American dream.
“Look, I’m the middle child of seven kids; my dad didn’t graduate high school, my mom was the oldest of 16, and yet I’ve led two Fortune 500 firms. That’s the American dream,” Ellison said.
He also warned that failing to address the skilled‑labor shortage could have serious economic repercussions, projecting roughly 2.1 million unfilled skilled‑trade jobs by 2030 and potential annual losses of up to $1 trillion.
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