On April 10, the Home Depot Foundation and Girl Scouts of Colorado teamed up to host a construction workshop for local Girl Scouts.
In 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported data showing only 11% of construction workers are women. The Path to Pro Construction Workshop is part of The Home Depot Foundation’s mission to fill the skilled labor gap and diversify the workforce.
The workshop provided hands-on carpentry experience and insight into meaningful construction careers for more than 50 local middle and high school Girl Scouts. Skilled tradeswoman, CJ Clark and Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, lead the participating Girl Scouts as they built ADA-compliant picnic tables. The completed tables will be strategically placed around Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Tomahawk Ranch property in areas which will benefit from the additional table space and seating.
“My favorite part of this workshop has been working together as a team and having a fun time. We’ve done a good job communicating together throughout the process,” said Girl Scout Cadette Charlotte from Highlands Ranch. “I’m very proud of us for building something from scratch and am excited to be able to visit Tomahawk Ranch and see the picnic tables we built being used.”
The Home Depot Foundation’s skilled trades training program, Path to Pro, launched in 2018 with a $50 million commitment to train the next generation of skilled tradespeople, diversify the trades industry, and address the growing labor shortage in the U.S.
“Learning to build and use tools inspires confidence and we see great pride in the completion of a goal,” expressed Emily Speck, Girl Scouts of Colorado’s program director. “Girl Scouts is about trying new things, and hands-on learning. This opens their eyes to all kinds of future possibilities.”
This pilot workshop is the second of three that will engage local troops and provide introductory trades training experience, nationwide.