"Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson"

Applications Open October 1, 2023

Since 2021, over 1,100 students at 14 schools throughout the United States have started their trades education through the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” initiative. Both Explore The Trades and Ferguson are committed to strengthening the trades of plumbing and HVAC.

With this common goal, both organizations are focused on building a skilled workforce and introducing vital trades careers to middle and high school students in the United States and Canada.

Explore The Trades and Ferguson are pleased to open applications for equipment grants for a third year. The skilled trades are vital to the wellbeing and growth of communities and all schools are encouraged to apply to bring the plumbing and HVAC trades to their students.

Interested applicants are encouraged to read the program criteria and FAQs linked below.

Program Criteria

Applications will be accepted from October 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024.
Grant funds will be allocated as follows:
- $25,000 worth of product and equipment available to those applying for a new plumbing or HVAC skills lab.
- $10,000 worth of product and equipment available to those applying to refurbish an existing plumbing or HVAC training space.
Application may be submitted to Maddy Sorenson, Project Coordinator at Explore The Trades, at [email protected] or through the linked application below.
For any questions about the Skills Lab initiative, please contact Kate Cinnamo, Executive Director of Explore The Trades, at [email protected] or 651-789-8518, or Maddy Sorenson, Project Coordinator at Explore The Trades, at [email protected] or 651-314-3856.

PDF Downloadable Forms:

Online Forms:

*Please note: It is recommended to complete the application in full, as it cannot be saved and edited later.

Ferguson Grant Application (New)

"*" indicates required fields

School Information

Name of School*

Address of School*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Primary Contact Name*

First Last

Primary Contact Job Title*

Primary Contact Email*

Primary Contact Phone*

Secondary Contact Name*

First Last

Secondary Contact Job Title*

Secondary Contact Email*

Secondary Contact Phone*

What grade levels does the school serve?*

Middle School (grades 6-8)

High School (grades 9-12)

Number of Students Served*

What percentage of the student body receives free and reduced lunch?*

What is the demographic makeup of the student body?

Male %:*

Female %:*

BIPOC %:*

Describe the need for trades programming at the school.*

What trade will outfit the new skills lab?*

Plumbing

HVAC

What is the curriculum for the proposed trades class?*

What is the estimated number of students who will be impacted?*

Who is the instructor for the class and are they a licensed professional? Please list their licensure and/or certification.*

Is there space readily available for a new trades program in the building? If not, will an existing space need to be retrofitted for the new classroom? Please describe the space updates required.*

Does the school have existing trades and/or technical classes?*

Yes

Was the school planning to create a trades classroom prior to this project? If so, please note applicable partnerships that will help support this class (i.e. local service business, contractor, etc.).*

What is your plan to sustain the program after the initial funding?*

What is your plan to recruit students for the program? Do you currently have students interested in pursuing this trades program?*

What is the anticipated date by which the class could be open to the student body?*

Industry Partner Information

Does the school currently partner with local industry?*

If so, please explain the history of the partnership and how it benefits both school program and the business.*

What goals would the industry partner and school look to achieve with this partnership?*

What are the metrics by which you’ll measure success?*

Did this partnership exist prior to this project?*

How do you envision this partnership to grow over the years?*

If this application is not selected, is it financially feasible for this partnership to continue?*

Ferguson Grant Application (Refurbished)

"*" indicates required fields

School Information

Name of School*

Address of School*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Primary Contact Name*

First Last

Primary Contact Job Title*

Primary Contact Email*

Primary Contact Phone*

Secondary Contact Name*

First Last

Secondary Contact Job Title*

Secondary Contact Email*

Secondary Contact Phone*

What grade levels does the school serve?

Middle School (grades 6-8)

High School (grades 9-12)

Number of Students Served*

What percentage of the student body receives free and reduced lunch?*

What is the demographic makeup of the student body?

Male %:*

Female %:*

BIPOC %:*

For which trade is your skills lab built?*

Plumbing

HVAC

How long has the class been offered to students?*

Describe the growth of the program (i.e. student enrollment).*

Please briefly describe the types of repairs or new equipment that is needed.*

Is space refurbishment needed for required city and/or building code?*

What is the curriculum for the current trades class?*

What is the estimated number of students who will be impacted if the skills lab is refurbished?*

Please provide the proposed floorplan of the classroom and equipment.*

Upload a floorplan, if you have one, here:

Max. file size: 128 MB.

Upon receiving new equipment and/or completing space refurbishments, what is the anticipated date by which the class could be open to the student body?*