March 28, 2022 - Madison, AL – Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) announced the recipients of its first “Empower Makers” Global Impact Challenge. KTECH is honored to have been named as a Makers Grant Recipient for our efforts to make a difference in workforce development in our community.
Initiated in 2021, the Global Impact Challenge grant program will award up to $25 million in grant funding over the next five years to nonprofits that are supporting trade workforce development initiatives in the construction and manufacturing sectors. With the first applications submitted in October 2021, 240 entrants were evaluated based on number of people served, outcomes projected, sustainable impact, depth of programs, and diversity, among many other considerations. KTECH, a workforce development initiative of the Kids to Love Foundation was selected as one of 86 organizations that will help skill and reskill roughly 180,000 makers throughout 2022.
KTECH, located in Madison, Alabama is working to help fill a huge employment gap in North Alabama by offering hands-on, one-on-one instruction that connects students to a career in the advanced manufacturing industry. The KTECH Workforce initiative puts our students to work in a matter of months by offering certifications and training in Mechatronics, Robotics, Soldering, and Virtual Reality.
KTECH supports foster kids as they age out of the system, veterans, and non-traditional students. Kids to Love and KTECH Founder/CEO, Lee Marshall is proud of what sets KTECH apart. “Many of our students come from hard places, but in 16 weeks they are propelled into high paying jobs that change the trajectory of their lives.” Additionally, KTECH has more than 20 workforce industry partners that serve as a direct pipeline for employment.
“Stanley Black & Decker is immensely proud to support KTECH as they work to skill and reskill the next generation of trade professionals,” said Stanley Black & Decker Vice President of Social Impact, Diane Cantello. “Currently in the U.S., there are an estimated 650,000 open construction jobs and 10 million unfilled manufacturing jobs globally. Our purpose is to support ‘Those Who Make the World,’ and being able to fund educational programs and non-profits that are revitalizing trade careers directly connects to our core mission. Thanks to this year’s Makers Grant Recipients, together we will be one step closer to closing the trade skills gap.”
To learn more about Stanley Black & Decker’s “Empower Makers” Global Impact Challenge, all of this year’s recipients and how non-profits may submit for the upcoming application period, please visit EmpowerMakers.com.
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