The skilled trades face a severe talent shortage with over three million jobs currently open in our country. At Carhartt, we’re committed to connecting future workers with trade programs in their own communities. That’s why we created the For the Love of Labor grant. Awarded throughout the year to like-minded organizations that are dedicated to educating, training, and placing workers into meaningful skilled trades jobs that keep our nation running.

MEET OUR GRANT WINNERS

We didn’t have to look very far to find the first recipients of our new For the Love of Labor Grant Program. The four organizations we’ve chosen to award with grants are committed to providing the necessary tools and resources to empower the next generation of skilled trades workers right in our home state of Michigan. Each of these organizations will receive funding to help support their efforts, and ultimately fill more jobs in the communities they serve.

WOMEN WHO WELD

Women make up only 5% of the workforce in the welding industry today. But Women Who Weld® is looking to change all that. Through their welding classes and workshops, women learn and prepare for apprenticeships or full-time jobs in the welding industry.

EMERGING INDUSTRIES TRAINING INSTITUTE (EITI)

As the only employer led training facility in the city of Detroit, Emerging Industries Training Institute (EITI), has placed over 2,200 graduates into viable careers where there is high demand, labor shortages, or skills gaps. As part of their placement passion, EITI also helps remove barriers to success by providing wraparound and support service assistance for participants.

WOMEN IN SKILLED TRADES (WIST)

Co-founded by two women who worked in construction their entire careers, Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) develops programs and events that promote better lives for women through the skilled trades. While women currently only make up ~5% of the construction workforce, WIST is helping to fill the labor gap and empower women in their community.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE - ACCESS FOR ALL

For more than 30 years, Workforce Development Institute has helped thousands of workers complete their education and find full-time employment. Their program, Access for All, is a free 300-hour construction trade training program that prepares students for a rewarding career and even provides support for basic needs such as transportation and childcare.