DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand, announced the recipients of its 2023 DEWALT Trades Scholarship. This year, the program awarded $200,000 in scholarships to 40 students across the country to support trades education in fields ranging from engineering and automotive to construction and HVAC.
The annual scholarship program is part of a larger commitment from Stanley Black & Decker to close the skilled trades gap in the U.S. To date, DEWALT has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarships.
The annual scholarship program is part of a larger commitment from Stanley Black & Decker to close the skilled trades gap in the U.S. To date, DEWALT has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarships.
DEWALT’s recent Powering The Possibilities survey explored the opportunities and challenges facing the construction industry and the trades, and found that more than half of U.S. contractors (55%) feel a lack of skilled workers is a barrier to growing their current business. The DEWALT Trades Scholarship was created to help close this gap and foster the next generation of trades professionals.
“We’re committed to empowering the trades and cultivating a new wave of skilled workers to fill these critical roles,” said Frank Mannarino, president, Power Tools Group, Stanley Black & Decker. “Through the DEWALT Trades Scholarship, we are able to provide young people with resources for technical training they need to pursue rewarding careers. We are proud to support this year’s scholarship recipients as they take the next steps in becoming the pros of tomorrow.”
The 2023-2024 scholarship recipients represent a diverse group of future tradespeople that will help fulfil this crucial need.
- Winners span 25 states and the District of Columbia
- Fifteen percent (15%) are female
- Students will enter twelve different fields/majors including Building Construction Technology, Welding, Plumbing, Automotive Technology, Aviation Maintenance, Carpentry and more
Scholar spotlight
One of this year’s recipients is Amber Ward of Texas who will be attending the School of Automotive Machinists and Technology (SAM Tech). Growing up, Ward and her father spent time together watching race cars on the drag strip, leading to her interest in engines and how they power vehicles.
This fall, she will turn that interest into a career as she pursues her degree in automotive technology.
Her advice to other young women interested in going into the field is to “keep up the pursuit and don’t get discouraged by outdated attitudes about women in the industry.”
Now in its fourth year, the DEWALT Trades Scholarship provides financial assistance to those pursuing a trade degree or certificate at a two-year college or vocational-technical school. The program is administered through a partnership with Scholarship America.
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