Meta launches $115M America's Workforce Academy to train data‑center trades workers

Meta announced a $115 million, cost‑free training program called America’s Workforce Academy (AWA) aimed at addressing the skilled‑labor shortage for artificial‑intelligence data‑center construction in the United States. The initiative guarantees graduates a job with a Meta contractor on a data‑center project and provides industry‑recognized credentials from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and an America’s Workforce Certificate.

Pilot courses will run in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Texas, with eligibility extended to workers in other states such as South Carolina. Partners include commercial‑real‑estate firm CBRE, the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group, the National Urban League and other community organisations. Meta President and Vice‑Chairman Dina Powell McCormick said the AI revolution “is bringing change but also historic opportunities,” while Vice‑President of Data Centers Rachel Peterson called the program a “commitment to building that workforce with the same ambition and long‑term thinking we bring to the technology itself.”

The academy is part of Meta’s broader plan to invest roughly $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over three years to support its expanding AI services. Hundreds of thousands of electricians, welders, plumbers, fiber‑technicians and other skilled tradespeople are needed, and Meta expects the program to train thousands of workers each year.