The coalition has committed $280,000 in grants for five projects, awarded in conjunction with Falls Church, Virginia-based HITT Contracting, to provide an opportunity for construction firms to partner with the school on tech-focused initiatives. Funding amounts are allocated on a per-project basis.

One such project is a platform that will help builders connect on tech advancements in construction in a digital commons that operates much like Reddit. Membership gives access to a portal where conversations can be had and where funds can be allocated to support the research that membership is interested in, making it a true industry-led, membership research model.

From its Smart Construction Lab in West Falls Church, Virginia, which is currently under construction, the coalition will develop a template that supports different kinds of research. The initiative will be piloted and tested with ABC members at different levels later in the year and once feedback is obtained, the coalition hopes to have the system ready for deployment in February, working and ready for March/April.

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In addition to corporate members, the coalition includes the National Association of Home Builders, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, SkillsUSA, and Carhartt.

The new partnership has a goal to train one million new skilled trades workers over the next decade, which seems to be an industry trend as private employers seek to address the skilled dearth in the market in new ways. The coalition intends on changing the perception of careers in the skilled trades while investing and scaling proven training methods that will support talent development through training to employment.

In June, Meta introduced a similar effort dubbed the American Workforce Academy, followed by Google, which promised $50 million to support labour unions and construction associations in workforce development efforts across 20 states.

“The next industrial revolution won’t be built by algorithms alone. It will be built by the millions of skilled trade professionals who power, connect, and move this country forward,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman and CEO, in the announcement.

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According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as analyzed by the Associated Builders and Contractors, overall, construction input prices were up 1.2 percent month over month in August, sitting 8.9 percent higher than the previous year. Steel mills, especially, saw prices increase 23.4 percent since August 2025, while iron and steel were up 17.9 percent over the same period. Crude petroleum increased 34.9 percent, while switchgear and copper wire, which are critical for data centre construction, were up 12.3 percent and 27.2 percent, respectively.

Between elevated oil prices and the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S. persisting, there are many geopolitical factors driving prices higher, which is causing developers to reconsider projects.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) September survey shows that around 55 percent of contractors reported abandonments or delays in the past six months, with one-third of respondents citing increasing costs as the reason.

“Construction firms are being squeezed by tariff- and war-induced materials cost increases, even as they boost wages to attract personnel,” said Ken Simonson, AGC Chief Economist, in a release. “Those cost increases, according to our latest survey, are a major reason project owners are cancelling, postponing or scaling back projects.”

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