Chicago, IL – Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) announced the recipients of its first “Empower Makers” Global Impact Challenge. Manufacturing Renaissance (MR) is honored to have been named as a Makers Grant Recipient for our Manufacturing Connect program and our efforts to expose, inspire and prepare high school youth for careers in manufacturing.
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. Manufacturing Renaissance was selected as one of 86 organizations that will help skill and reskill roughly 180,000 makers throughout 2022.
“This is a great vote of confidence from such a leader in the industry on the importance of inspiring the next generation makers and leaders in the manufacturing sector. We’ll make good use of this grant to provide low-barrier training, career exposure, job placement and retention supports for young people who may not otherwise have this opportunity in through their families or their schools,” said Erica Staley, Executive Director at Manufacturing Renaissance.
“Stanley Black & Decker is immensely proud to support Manufacturing Renaissance 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.