There is a shortage of fiber technicians, welders, plumbers, and electricians.
To address this, Meta launched America’s Workforce Academy in June, partnering with the National Urban League, Associated Builders and Contractors, CBRE, the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and regional workforce organizations in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas.
The Academy offers a cost-free program that supports participants through training and guarantees job placement for graduates.
Meta has invested $115 million to ensure graduates earn the National Center for Construction Education and Research credential and an America’s Workforce Certificate.
On Friday, ABC National reported that ABC, CBRE, and Meta marked the inaugural graduations from America’s Workforce Academy, with 55 graduates from Indiana and Ohio receiving an industry-recognized certification as fiber technicians.
ABC is a national association with 67 chapters representing 24,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms.
In April, CBRE announced LevelUp, a multiyear initiative to recruit and train thousands of fiber technicians for Meta data centers in the U.S.
CBRE will open multiple training centers nationwide, starting this summer. Graduates will have opportunities to work at Meta construction sites through Meta’s contractor network.
The program targets individuals seeking new careers or recent high school graduates, offering competitive earning potential in a growing field.
CBRE will train workers to install technical infrastructure, fiber-optic cables, network equipment, and other essential systems at Meta’s data center sites.
The curriculum is designed to provide broadly applicable skills for long-term careers in construction and data center industries.
This partnership with CBRE reflects Meta’s ongoing commitment to investing in America’s workforce and expanding access to skilled trade opportunities.
Meta currently has 27 data centers under construction or operational in the U.S., with more planned.
Since 2010, these projects have supported over 30,000 skilled trade jobs and 5,000 operational jobs.
CBRE Group, Inc. employs over 140,000 people in more than 100 countries.
This week, Meta announced a partnership with North America’s Building Trades Union to support skilled trades workers nationwide.
The press release notes that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is creating unprecedented demand for skilled tradespeople.
In a recent discussion, Meta leaders explained why the company designs and operates its own data centers to support platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads, and Meta AI, and described the process for selecting new data center locations.
Earlier this week, Meta also announced an initiative to ensure that workers and communities involved in building critical infrastructure benefit directly.
Additionally, Meta launched the Future Is for Everyone Fund to invest in communities, teachers, first responders, and infrastructure.