‘AI can’t climb a ladder’: Why Lowe’s CEO is doubling down on ‘critical’ trades and blue-collar work with a $250 million bet

Tara LosinskiThu, April 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM UTC

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Photo of construction worker climbing a ladder

The world's second-largest home improvement retailer (1) is doubling down on its support for skilled trades.

In an interview with Fortune (2), CEO Marvin Ellison confirmed that the Lowe's foundation will put $250 million toward training workers in fields such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical over the next 10 years. This, after the company had already invested more than $50 million, partnering (3) with nonprofit and community college training programs since 2023.

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Ellison noted that, with a hard shift toward automating work tasks, artificial intelligence can only do — and replace us — so much.

"As powerful as AI will become, AI can't climb a ladder to change the batteries in your smoke detector," he told Fortune. "It can't change your furnace filter; it can't clean your dryer vent; it can't repair a hole on your roof."

Do the trades need support?

Aside from the obvious connection — Lowe's is a home improvement store and tradespeople do improve homes — why is the retailer investing so much in keeping America flush with blue collars?

A potentially dire shortage is the brief answer.

Earlier this year, the Associated Builders and Contractors released a report (4) in which it estimated the U.S. will need 349,000 net new workers this year, and another 456,000 new workers in 2027, as construction spending is expected to grow "for the first time in years."

And some of that demand is a direct result of AI.

Across the country, some 3,000 new data centers are planned or already under construction this year, according to Axios (5). As Ellison noted, AI can't (yet) show up to the job site and help build the centers it relies on — let alone fix and service everything that will eventually need fixing and servicing.

Lowe's isn't the only organization throwing large sums into trades. Ellison cheered BlackRock's $100 million initiative "to expand economic opportunity and power the next generation of America's skilled trades workers," announced in March (6).

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"We know we can't do it alone," he told Fortune. "This is going to be so critical to the future, not only of our company, but to our country."

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The jobs waiting to be filled

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (7), there are currently millions of job openings across the economy, including more than 200,000 in construction alone.

Although Ellison says he was encouraged to go to college and get a four-year degree to "achieve the American dream," it's not the only path "to obtain prosperity." He noted that among his own executive team, there are parents steering their kids toward trades.

Growth in installation, maintenance and repair occupations is expected to outpace average labor demand through 2034, according to BLS (8), with more than 600,000 job openings projected each year.

Ellison admits skilled trades may need better marketing to be presented as "rewarding, viable careers, not just backup plans."

"These trades are really a way to create meaningful wealth for yourself and it's a way to earn a very dignified living," he said, "and you can do it with a lot less debt."

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Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

Yahoo Finance (1) ; Fortune (2) ; Lowe's (3) ; Associated Builders and Contractors (4) ; Axios (5) ; BlackRock (6) ; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (7, 8)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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Source: “AOL Money”