As demand for data-center labor accelerates, Meta announced a $115 million initiative to train data center technicians through a five-week program called America’s Workforce Academy, partnered with CBRE and construction/trade organizations plus the National Urban League. Meta said it will cover tuition, housing, and a daily stipend and offer a guaranteed job upon program completion. The push targets skilled-trades shortages that companies argue stall the AI buildout. Meta’s announcement also signals a shift in how workforce readiness is being framed—less as a four-year degree pathway and more as rapid, credential-linked training. The initiative aligns with broader higher education workforce concerns: whether institutions can keep up with shifting credential demand and how colleges, employers, and workforce boards can scale training models tied to real job outcomes.