The basics:

• ABC and Meta are investing $115M in workforce development
• Program will train workers for data center construction projects
• Participants receive scholarships, support services and job offers
• Academy launches in Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas

Mount Laurel-headquartered Associated Builders and Contractors is partnering with Meta Platforms on a $115 million initiative designed to train the next generation of data center construction workers. The collaboration also addresses a growing nationwide labor shortage.

America’s Workforce Academy will initially operate in Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas. The program provides participants with training, financial support and guaranteed job opportunities on Meta construction projects. ABC officials said the initiative is designed to help meet increasing demand for workers as the construction of data centers accelerates nationwide.

Participants who complete the academy’s online application process and are accepted into the program will receive scholarships, as well as assistance with travel, housing and living expenses. The training includes career-readiness and safety instruction followed by five weeks of hands-on education covering core construction skills and craft-specific training.

Graduates will receive a job offer from contractors working on Meta projects.

“America’s Workforce Academy is a transformational endeavor creating incredible construction-ready careers,” said ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman. “ABC is proud to work with Meta, CBRE and academy community partners to welcome all who want to build their career dreams as a professional in construction.

America’s Workforce Academy is a transformational endeavor creating incredible construction-ready careers.
– Michael Bellaman, president and CEO, Associated Builders and Contractors

“As an industry leader, ABC believes in creating opportunities for all on a level playing field and is ready to meet the industry’s needs and help individuals achieve their career dreams.”

Hitting the ground running

The partnership is built around three primary goals:

• Building a sustainable talent pipeline through scalable workforce development models
• Delivering accelerated, job-ready training to equip participants with industry-specific skills, safety knowledge and jobsite readiness
• Ensuring safety and productivity from day one by preparing participants to meet industry and project-specific standards

Bellaman said the collaboration will help expand the pipeline of construction workers needed for data center construction projects nationwide.

“The sustained demand for data center construction technicians means the industry needs an all-of-the-above approach to address this shortage and grow the construction talent pool,” said Bellaman. “This important new partnership reaffirms that the construction industry offers careers of choice in today’s complex job market.”

Samantha Roman, president of ABC New Jersey, said the academy builds on ABC’s existing nationwide training infrastructure. She said it offers an accelerated pathway into the construction trades.

“This new program is an innovative talent solution that is a critical part of addressing the construction industry’s ongoing workforce shortage … Utilizing ABC’s existing, proven, nationwide educational ecosystem in states like New Jersey, these programs will be launched at ABC chapter training centers in key markets like Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis and Houston,” Roman explained.

She said the initiative will help train “the next generation of craft professionals,” including recent high school graduates, veterans and other individuals seeking entry into the industry.

Laying the foundation

Meta President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick said the company views the program as part of a broader effort to support the growth of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

“The AI revolution is bringing change but also historic opportunities,” she said. “Skilled workers electrified rural America one pole at a time. They manned the factories that built the arsenal that won World War II. Now a new generation will pour the foundations and lay the fiber that secures American strength in this new age.”

According to the organizations, America’s Workforce Academy will build a sustainable workforce pipeline by aligning employers, training providers and workforce development systems while delivering accelerated, industry-focused instruction.

The initiative will leverage ABC’s nationwide training network, which includes more than 800 apprenticeship, craft, safety and management education programs. It also features approximately 450 government-registered apprenticeship programs across 20 occupations.

The announcement comes as contractors nationwide continue to face labor shortages. Meanwhile, demand for data center construction grows alongside investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital infrastructure.