- DEWALT to award scholarships to 40 aspiring tradespeople to pursue training and education in high-demand trades
- Scholarships aim to help usher in the next generation of workers as hundreds of thousands of trades professionals retire across the U.S. and Canada
TOWSON, Md., Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and leader in total jobsite solutions, in partnership with The SkillPointe Foundation, today announced the launch of the 2026 DEWALT Trades Scholarship.
The DEWALT Trades Scholarship is part of the brand's larger Grow The Trades Initiative, a pledge to invest $60 million by 2030 in support of current and aspiring tradespeople. To date, DEWALT has awarded more than $20 million in scholarships, grants and tool donations. This year's program will provide $200,000 in scholarships – 40 awards of $5,000 each – to help students in the U.S. and Canada pursue training and education in high-demand skilled trades.
"Across the skilled trades, we are seeing a generation of experienced professionals begin to retire, while simultaneously, new demand is being generated by infrastructure projects such as data centers and EV plants," said James Oh, President, DEWALT. "It is critical that DEWALT invests in the next wave of talent to keep the industry thriving and to empower the future builders and problem-solvers of the world."
Why It Matters: The Future of the Trades
Skilled trades remain at the heart of economic growth, yet the labor shortage continues to challenge industries across North America.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 650,000 annual job openings across construction, industrial, mechanical, power and technology-related trades, driven by both growth and the need to backfill retiring workers1.
In Canada, by 2033, the industry's overall hiring requirements are expected to reach upwards of 350,000 due to the retirement of more than 260,000 workers, or 21% of the current labor force, and growth in worker demand of more than 88,0002.
"Our skill scholarship programs, in partnership with brands like DEWALT, reduce financial barriers so aspiring workers can access the education and hands-on training needed to step into high-demand careers and critical roles that power our economy," said Alvin Townley, Founding CEO, SkillPointe Foundation.
How To Apply
Applications for the DEWALT Trades Scholarship are open now through February 28, 2026.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://webportalapp.com/sp/dewalt-trades-us. To learn more about DEWALT's Grow The Trades initiative, visit: dewalt.com/growthetrades.
1https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/
2https://www.buildforce.ca/en/press-release/canadas-construction-sector-is-poised-to-grow-through-2033/
About DEWALT
DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand, is a leader in total jobsite solutions. For more than 100 years, DEWALT has been powering the future of construction with tools and technologies that have been designed, built and tested to help deliver safety and productivity on every jobsite. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
About SkillPointe Foundation
SkillPointe Foundation partners with organizations like DEWALT to provide scholarships to aspiring workers seeking skilled trades education and training for high-demand careers.
In under five years, the Foundation has raised close to $6 million and funded over 2,100 scholarships to support workforce development and economic growth. Learn More: SkillPointeFoundation.org.
SOURCE DEWALT