BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google Form Alliance to Promote Skilled Trades

BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Company and Google announced the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades on July 21. The new group will work with labor unions and trade associations, invest in apprenticeship programs and raise awareness of career paths in the trades, cnbc.com reported. Founding members have already committed independently to workforce training initiatives in 30 states.

Google separately pledged to help train more than 300,000 American workers for in-demand careers. Bayo Ogunlesi, BlackRock's chairman and chief executive officer of global infrastructure partners, said investment in infrastructure depends on a skilled workforce. "Expanding that talent pipeline requires long-term commitment and partnership across sectors," he stated.

Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, said building physical infrastructure requires increasing the pipeline of skilled tradespeople. "A challenge that can only be addressed with collective action," she added. Enrollments in undergraduate certificate and associate degree programs each grew about 2 percent in fall 2025, while bachelor's degree enrollments rose less than 1 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center; companies cited these figures against a backdrop of ongoing shortages in electrical, technical and construction trades.

The companies cited a shortage of electrical workers, technicians and builders as the reason for the initiative.