Meta to bring $115 million AI data center training initiative to Houston
Meta has partnered with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) to invest $115 million in training programs for AI data center construction workers. A portion of this initiative, including new America’s Workforce Academies, will launch in Houston, Texas. The program aims to address the construction industry's workforce shortage for data center projects.
Meta, in collaboration with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), has announced a $115 million investment in training programs designed to prepare the next generation of construction workers for building AI data centers. This partnership, unveiled on June 8, will establish America’s Workforce Academies at ABC chapter training centers across four key U.S. cities, including Houston, Texas; Indianapolis; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Columbus, Ohio.
The academies will provide career readiness, safety instruction, and five weeks of practical, hands-on training. Graduates of the program are guaranteed job offers from contractors involved in Meta's data center projects. Dina Powell McCormick, Meta president and vice-chairman, emphasized the historic opportunity presented by the AI revolution, while Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO, highlighted the program's role in addressing the construction industry's ongoing workforce shortage and creating new pathways for job seekers amidst the surging demand for data center technicians.
In Texas, Meta already operates or is developing data centers in El Paso, Fort Worth, and Temple, with a significant $10 billion expansion planned for its El Paso facility. The state has emerged as a major hub for data center development, attracting other tech giants like Google and Amazon, with projections from JLL and CBRE suggesting Texas could surpass Northern Virginia as the world’s largest data center market by 2030, and Houston’s data center capacity potentially doubling by 2028.