Carhartt Provides Pipeline to Skilled Trades with New “For the Love of Labor” Grant Program

Workwear brand initiates national grant program by awarding $175,000 between four Michigan organizations; Commits all online sales from Carhartt.com this Labor Day to support ongoing grants throughout the year

Amid recent advances in technology, growing needs for affordable housing, impending infrastructure repairs and continued labor shortages, the demand for U.S. skilled workers has skyrocketed in recent years. That’s why ahead of Labor Day – and in light of an estimated three million skilled trade jobs sitting open in the U.S. as of June 2022¹ – premium workwear brand Carhartt today launched its inaugural “For the Love of Labor” grant program, marking the next chapter in the brand’s storied history of serving America’s workforce.

A first-of-its-kind program for Carhartt, For the Love of Labor grants are now available to support like-minded community based nonprofit organizations nationwide that are dedicated to educating, training and placing workers into meaningful skilled trade jobs that are critically needed.

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“As a company that started by serving railroad workers in 1889, we’ve upheld the belief that careers in the skilled trades not only provide rewarding and inclusive job opportunities, but are also crucial in building stronger individuals, families and communities,” said Todd Corley, senior vice president of inclusion, sustainability and community at Carhartt. “With the ‘For the Love of Labor’ grant program, we strive to champion those who work with their hands and are helping build a better world, community by community, during a time when we need them most.”

Awarded throughout the year, Carhartt designed its grant program to reduce as many hurdles as possible, empowering community based skilled trades organizations to apply and support their efforts. This includes considerations such as accepting grants on a rolling basis, selecting applicants with programs that provide career pathways toward family-sustaining wages in high-demand positions and determining grant amounts based on organizations’ specific needs.

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Based in Michigan, Carhartt is honored to award its first round of grants totaling $175,000 to four deserving organizations right in its own backyard, each of which are committed to serving women and further diversifying the skilled trade workforce, including:

• Women Who Weld (Detroit) – In today’s welding industry, women make up only 5% of the workforce. Through welding classes and workshops, Women Who Weld is challenging the status quo by helping women learn and prepare for employment in the welding industry, cultivating economic opportunities for women.
• Women in Skilled Trades (Lansing, Mich.) – Co-founded by two women who worked in construction their entire careers, Women in Skilled Trades develops exciting trade education programming and events to help bridge the skilled labor gap and empower women in their community.
• Emerging Industries Training Institute (Detroit) – The exclusive training provider for Detroit At Work, Emerging Industries Training Institute specifically targets and trains industries facing increased demand, labor shortages and skills gaps.
• Workforce Development Institute – Access for All (Detroit) – Helping thousands of workers complete their education and find employment for more than 30 years, Workforce Development Institute prepares students for a rewarding career through Access for All, its free 300-hour construction trade training program.

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