Meta has pledged $115 million to launch America’s Workforce Academy, a new initiative designed to train data center technicians and address the growing shortage of skilled trade workers essential to its AI infrastructure expansion. Partnering with CBRE, the Associated Builders and Contractors, and the National Urban League, the program will provide free five-week training courses, covering tuition, housing, and daily stipends, with no prior experience required.
Graduates will receive industry-recognized credentials and guaranteed job placements in roles such as electricians, mechanics, and fiber technicians. The average salary for data center technicians is $54,031, according to ZipRecruiter. This initiative comes as demand for trade jobs in construction, HVAC, and electrical work continues to outpace national averages, while the value of a four-year college degree faces growing scrutiny.
The program will initially pilot in Baton Rouge, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Houston, regions where Meta is investing heavily in data center development. The company plans to spend $600 billion on U.S. data center projects by 2028, even as it faces local opposition over concerns about environmental impact and rising rents.
'America needs hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople,' said Rachel Peterson, Meta’s vice president of data centers. 'This program creates clear, accessible pathways into those careers.'
Meta’s initiative builds on its LevelUp fiber technician training program, which received 35,000 applications for 1,000 openings earlier this year. With an additional 180,000 fiber construction workers needed over the next decade, the company is positioning itself to meet the demands of federal and state infrastructure projects while advancing its AI ambitions.