The Home Depot Foundation Launches $200K Scholarship Program for Women in Construction

In honor of Women in Construction Week, The Home Depot Foundation announced it would offer $200,000 in scholarships for women entering or currently enrolled in construction trade school programs.

In a March 6 press release, the company said the Path To Pro Scholarship for Women would award 50 recipients $4,000 each in financial assistance. It’s the newest addition to the Foundation’s ongoing Path to Pro scholarship initiative. Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Have a high school graduate or GED equivalent;
• Be currently enrolled or intend to enroll in an accredited construction trade college or postsecondary program in the U.S.;
• Be focused on carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing or construction management.

The Home Depot employees or their dependents are not eligible. Additional application information can be found here.

“The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than half of a million dollars in trade school scholarships to extend support beyond our training programs and help bridge the opportunity gap for more students seeking high-earning careers,” Shannon Gerber, the foundation’s executive director, said in the release.

“We’re proud to have trained more than 39,000 trades professionals and awarded nearly 200 trade school scholarships to-date, and we’re thrilled to continue that momentum with an intentional focus on women.”

There are approximately 400,000 open construction roles in the United States, according to The Home Depot. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says only 11 percent of construction workers are women.

The Foundation has pledged $50 million to fill the skilled labor gap. According to the release, the Foundation “is on a continued mission to help diversify the trades industry through its Path to Pro programs available to youth, high school and trade school students, underserved communities and separating U.S. military service members,”

In January 2022, Family Handyman launched its Eleven Percent Series, spotlighting women in the trades. Here’s a list of the women profiled:

• Jess Hirsch, Carpenter and Woodworker;
• Judaline Cassidy, Plumber;
• Jenny McCarthy, Painter;
• Andrea Harris, Cement Mason;
• Tami Gallagher, Gardener;
• Elizabeth Turner and Abby Meuser-Herr, Architects;
• Debra Hilmerson, Job Site Safety Pro;
• Sarah Lechowich, Roofer and CEO;
• Maggie Rogosienski, Electrical Apprentice;
• Celia Reyes, Welder;
• Bella Weinstein, Founder of Handyma’am Goods;
• Melinde Madsen, Production Carpenter;
• Mary Kehl, Handyman Apprentice and Medic;
• Schannon Yodice, That Tile Chick;
• Brenda Hay, Welding Authorized Inspector-in-Training;
• Ally Childress, Journeyworker Electrician;
• Thea Alvin, Stonemason;
• Lydia Crowder, Drywall Contractor;
• Belick Pha, Senior Construction Supervisor;
• Becca Haggard, Roofing Contractor;
• Jessie Cannizzaro, Plumbing Contractor;
• Renee Wilson, Insulation Contractor/Owner;
• Kat Christie, Residential Handyperson.