The Home Depot’s Path to Pro Program
Building the Next Generation of Skilled Trades Professionals
By Jenna Arca
As the skilled trades population becomes increasingly diverse, ensuring accessibility to trades training and resources is critical to bridging the labor gap between the number of skilled trade workers and the unprecedented demand for trade jobs. As an example, 94% of The Home Depot’s Pro customers struggle to find skilled workers.
Across the U.S., the need for highly skilled tradespeople remains strong:
» There are more than 400,000+ skilled labor job openings.
» More than 61,000 hires are needed in construction per month to keep up with growth and the loss of workers.
» 40% of construction workers are expected to retire by the year 2031.
» There will be over 3.9 million jobs available for home improvement related trades within the next decade.
» <3% of high schoolers considered a career in the trades.
The Demand for Skilled Tradespeople
The U.S. faces a significant labor shortage in skilled trades professionals. This shortage directly impacts The Home Depot’s professional customers, which in turn impacts our customers’ ability to source home improvement services. Through the Path to Pro program, we want to help introduce those interested in skilled trades professions to our Pro customers.
According to the Home Builders Institute, the demand for skilled tradespeople in the U.S. remains strong, with over 400,000 current skilled labor job openings. There is a need for over 61,000 hires in construction per month to keep up with job growth and to replace exiting workers. And the U.S. Census Bureau predicts over 3.9 million jobs will become available for home improvement–related trades over the next decade alone.
Path to Pro
Path to Pro launched in 2021 as part of The Home Depot’s larger initiative to help build the next generation of skilled trades professionals and the Path to Pro Network launched nationwide in October 2022 to solve a top pain point of our Pro customers — finding reliable, skilled labor needed to grow their businesses.
The Home Depot’s Path to Pro program offers three options to support your trades career journey.
PathtoPro.com
This site includes a resource library available in English and Spanish, containing educational how-to guides and video content, training opportunities and a variety of information on different career paths. Its goal is to help individuals better understand the career potential in the skilled trades while also helping them navigate the registration process for the Skills Program and Network.
Path to Pro Skills Program
This program offers free introductory trades training, also available in English and Spanish, for those interested in pursuing or growing a career in the skilled trades. Participants can take advantage of on-demand content that gives them the necessary training to secure entry level positions in the highest demand trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall and painting.
Path to Pro Network
This jobseeker marketplace was created to connect skilled tradespeople to hiring trades professionals in the construction and home improvement industries. Skilled trades jobseekers can utilize digital and downloadable guides, available in English and Spanish. These guides help them create a profile, upload their resume and add photos of their work to connect with The Home Depot’s Pro customers looking to hire in their local area.
Those looking to hire skilled labor should visit HomeDepot.com/Network to learn more.
Whether you are entering the skilled trades for the first time, refreshing your talents, or looking to make a career change, Path to Pro has you covered. With thousands of skilled jobs ready for the taking, making the best career choice becomes easy when you have multiple paths to explore — and will continue to do so for many years to come. If you already work in a skilled trade, this also means it is a great time to increase your skills and continue growing your career.
The Path to Pro Network
The Home Depot is committed to helping address the growing skilled labor shortage in the U.S. and building the next generation of skilled trades professionals. This commitment allows individuals to access Path to Pro’s resource library, introductory trades training, and the Path to Pro Network, a free jobseeker marketplace created to connect skilled tradespeople ages 18 or older to hiring trades professionals in the construction and home improvement industries. All these resources are available to anyone with internet access — without any cost barriers.
Unlike many existing career sites and job boards that may charge fees for accessing premium features or building a profile, registering for the Skills Program and creating a profile in the Path to Pro Network is entirely free.
Creating a Path to Pro Network profile allows skilled tradespeople to showcase their trades experience and connect with The Home Depot’s Pro customers who are looking to hire in their local area. Jobseekers can apply directly to open roles posted by The Home Depot’s Pro customers and the hiring Pros can reach out to jobseekers directly with job opportunities that match up with their experience.
SIDEBAR
A Path to Pro Case Study: Brandon Williams
Residential contractor Brandon Williams always knew he wanted to get into the trades. “Growing up, I loved building things,” Williams said, which led him to learn about building as a hobby. “I knew some skills for hobby work, but for an actual job, I wasn’t fully trained, and Path to Pro put me in a position where I could get trained.”
To prepare for his first job in the trades, Brandon registered for the Path to Pro Skills Program, which now offers free introductory trades training in both English and Spanish.
Hands-on experience made all the difference. “I’d been looking for something in this profession for months before I learned about Path to Pro, but most employers wanted someone with experience,” Williams recalled, “and Path to Pro really helped with that.”
After he joined the Path to Pro Network, a potential employer contacted him about a job, and his career began. “Every day, there’s something new, and this is the part I love about my job,” added Williams.
