New grant to Team Rubicon will deploy more
local skilled tradespeople to communities impacted by
natural disasters
ATLANTA, March 4,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To further extend its mission of
training the next generation of skilled tradespeople, The Home
Depot Foundation is granting $1
million to its veteran-led disaster response partner Team
Rubicon to build a new trades training program. Through the "TRades
Academy," Team Rubicon will provide its students with on-the-job
training in carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC as they
rebuild homes in communities impacted by natural disasters. Once
trained, graduates will be equipped to work with general
contractors and nonprofit organizations, addressing the skilled
trades gap in these communities and broadening support after
natural disasters.
"In 2023, a disaster causing a billion dollars in damage
happened every 13 days on average, and each affected community also
experienced a shortage of qualified labor. There simply aren't
enough skilled tradespeople to help communities rebuild and recover
after disaster strikes," said Art delaCruz, chief executive officer
of Team Rubicon. "The Home Depot Foundation's investment in the
TRades Academy will help empower our dedicated veteran and civilian
graduates to serve communities impacted by natural disasters in a
new capacity while helping to fill the skilled labor gap."
The Home Depot Foundation has partnered with Team Rubicon since
2012 to provide immediate disaster response and long-term disaster
recovery to communities in need. With the support of the Foundation
and Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate volunteer force, Team
Rubicon has been rebuilding homes and serving communities
devastated by hurricanes and tornadoes. While working to rebuild
homes, Team Rubicon experienced challenges in finding trained
professionals available to provide long-term recovery and rebuild
support for families following disasters.
"We're proud to invest in the TRades Academy to help train
skilled tradespeople, embed trades specialists in vulnerable
communities and further scale the incredible work of Team Rubicon's
volunteers after disasters," said Erin
Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation.
"Programs like this allow The Home Depot to help fill the skilled
labor gap and provide Pros access to qualified candidates."
In the U.S., there are more than 400,000 open construction jobs
today, a number that is only growing. Through the Path to Pro
Program, The Home Depot Foundation offers free training
opportunities and scholarships to introduce youth, underserved
communities and separating U.S. military servicemembers to
meaningful careers in plumbing, carpentry, electrical and HVAC.
Additionally, The Home Depot connects skilled tradespeople to
construction job openings and offers free, virtual classes on
careers in the trades. For more information, visit
PathtoPro.com.
About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation, the nonprofit arm of The Home
Depot (NYSE: HD), works to improve the homes and lives of U.S.
veterans, support communities impacted by natural disasters and
train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap. Since 2011, the
Foundation has invested more than $500
million in veteran causes and improved more than 60,000
veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest
$750 million in veteran causes by
2030 and $50 million in training the
next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro
program by 2028. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation
visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us
on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and
on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that
serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and
crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has
grown to more than 160,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,200
operations domestically and internationally. To drive equity across
disaster and humanitarian services, Team Rubicon focuses on three
areas of impact: disaster services- from mitigation to immediate
response to recovery; rebuild services — maintaining the fabric of
communities through resilient building methods; and international
services- providing emergent and surge medical services, WASH, and
disaster risk reduction. The organization is featured in the Roku
original series titled Team Rubicon, which highlights the work of
Greyshirt volunteers assisting communities across the country.
Visit http://www.teamrubiconusa.org for more
information.
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SOURCE The Home Depot Foundation
