SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Johnson College has received a major boost for its skilled-trades programs after the Lowe’s Foundation awarded the school a $450,000 Gable Grant, one of only a dozen colleges nationwide to earn the competitive funding this year.
The Scranton-based institution — the region’s only two-year career and technical college — was selected as part of the foundation’s expanding effort to strengthen the trades workforce. Since 2023, Lowe’s has distributed grants to 60 colleges and nonprofits across 28 states to help close the national labor gap, which the National Association of Home Builders estimates costs the housing industry roughly $10 billion annually.
Johnson College will use the funding to upgrade equipment in its newly expanded HVAC and electrical construction technology lab, as well as its carpentry and cabinetmaking programs on the Scranton campus. The grant will also help purchase additional tools for HVAC and electrical labs at the school’s satellite location in the CAN DO Training Center in Hazle Township.
Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation, said the program is creating a network of schools committed to rebuilding the skilled trades pipeline. “These schools join a community of innovators helping one another recruit, train and employ the people America needs to revitalize our infrastructure,” she said.
Walter Wood, who oversees Johnson College’s building trades and technology division, said the investment will directly benefit students preparing to enter the field. “Our students will train on the same technology being used on job sites today,” he said. “It gives employers confidence in our graduates and strengthens the trades across our region.”
The Lowe’s Foundation’s Gable Grants are part of a five-year, $50 million initiative aimed at preparing 50,000 people for trades careers, supporting training in carpentry, construction, HVAC, electrical work, plumbing and appliance repair. Since launching the effort, the foundation has awarded $43 million to programs nationwide.