LOUISIANA — Meta is committing $115 million to the America's Workforce Academy program this year. The initiative provides a five-week training program for skilled tradespeople in data center and infrastructure roles.
Graduates of the America's Workforce Academy receive a guaranteed job upon completion. The program covers tuition, housing, transportation, and certification fees, in addition to providing a daily training stipend. No prior work experience is required to enroll in the program.
The program will be piloted in Baton Rouge, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Houston. The company partnered with CBRE, the Associated Builders and Contractors, and the National Urban League for the initiative. Graduates will receive a National Center for Construction Education and Research credential and an America's Workforce Certificate.
The company plans to invest $600 billion in U.S. data center development by 2028. It currently operates or is building 27 data centers. The company's vice president of data centers, Rachel Peterson, stated, "America needs hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople — electricians, mechanics, fiber technicians and more — and this program creates clear, accessible pathways into those careers."
Richland Parish in Louisiana is home to the company's largest data center campus, spanning 2,250 acres and costing $27 billion to develop. Approximately 500 workers are expected to remain in permanent roles at the Richland Parish campus. The average salary for a data center technician in the U.S. is $54,031, while a fiber technician's average salary nationwide is $57,818. Trade jobs in construction, HVAC, and electrical work have higher demand rates than the national average.
The company's president and vice chairman, Dina Powell McCormick, said, "The AI revolution is bringing change but also historic opportunities." McCormick said a new generation will build the infrastructure for American strength. Industry data indicates an additional 180,000 fiber construction and technical workers are needed in the U.S. over the next 10 years to meet project demand. The presidential administration aims to train more than one million registered apprentices and has allocated over $229 million in grants to support apprenticeship training.
No independent assessment was available for this report.