New Alliance Targets Industrial Workforce Shortage

BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Co. and Google have formed the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, an initiative focused on expanding skilled trades training and addressing workforce needs in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy and other industries.

The four founding companies have independently committed to supporting skilled workforce training initiatives in 30 states.

The companies cited a JLL estimate that 2.1 million skilled trades positions could go unfilled by 2030, including jobs for electrical workers, technicians and builders. These positions support industries such as manufacturing, infrastructure and energy.

The alliance will focus on three areas: increasing awareness of skilled trades careers, expanding access to training and scaling workforce development programs.

Its members plan to support apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs that allow participants to earn wages while developing skills on the job. The alliance will also work with Burning Glass and Jobs for the Future on a report examining workforce gaps, measuring progress and sharing workforce development practices.

Another goal is to add industry, labor, education and nonprofit organizations to the alliance. The founding companies said this effort will build on their existing partnerships with labor unions, trade associations and professional organizations in the construction and electrical sectors.

BlackRock’s Future Builders initiative plans to deploy $100 million in grants over five years to nonprofit and workforce development organizations. The initiative is intended to connect 50,000 workers with skilled trades training, assist them through completion and licensure and provide financial education resources.

Carhartt launched its For the Love of Labor program in 2022. The program has supported more than 60 nonprofit and community organizations working to strengthen the skilled trades workforce pipeline.

Ford has committed to spending $300 million in 2026 on skilled trades workforce development and what the company calls the Essential Economy. That category includes construction, manufacturing, energy, public services, transportation and logistics.

Google has committed $50 million to training programs supporting 14 labor unions and four trade and contractor associations. The company said the programs are intended to prepare more than 300,000 workers in more than 20 states for skilled trades careers.

Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford, said, “At Ford, we recognize the skilled trades workforce shortage is a national crisis but also a generational opportunity. Skilled trades are at the heart of what we call the Essential Economy, the 95 million Americans who build, move, and fix the things our country depends on every day. You see it across our own business, from the tens of thousands skilled tradespeople and technicians in our plants and dealerships to the millions of workers who rely on Ford Pro vehicles to do the jobs that keep our country running. These vital trades and industries form the backbone of the American economy, and their future is America’s future. Ford’s work is inseparable from America’s, and we are honored to join these great companies who are also committed to securing our nation’s future.”

Bayo Ogunlesi, chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, said “Investment in America’s infrastructure will help shape the country’s long-term economic trajectory, but its success ultimately depends on the skilled workforce that brings these projects to life. Expanding that talent pipeline requires long-term commitment and partnership across sectors. BlackRock and GIP are proud to launch the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades to support the workers who will build, operate, and maintain the infrastructure that underpins America’s future competitiveness.”