CBRE and Meta Open Data Center Training Centers to Fill 350,000-Worker Shortage
CBRE and Meta are launching a joint training program to address a critical shortage of skilled technicians needed to build and maintain AI data centers. The first two training sites will open this summer near airports in Ohio and Indianapolis.
Meta estimates the industry needs almost 350,000 trained technicians to support its expansion. The company currently has 28 U.S. data centers under construction or operating and is spending billions on infrastructure.
The program, called LevelUp, offers free technician training and a guaranteed job for those who pass. Each facility will accommodate about 300 trainees, with plans to scale to roughly 6,650 trainees per month. More than 14,000 people have already registered interest.
A Broader Industry Problem
The talent crunch extends beyond Meta. Global data center investment reached $580 billion in 2025, with another $3 trillion planned by 2030. Yet projects are being delayed or canceled due to labor shortages.
By 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trade jobs could go unfilled, according to JLL. The potential economic loss: $1 trillion annually. Microsoft has identified electrician shortages as the single biggest obstacle to its data center expansion.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects electrician employment will grow 9.5% by 2034, triple the 3.1% average for all occupations.
Other Real Estate Firms Step In
JLL created a free training program in 2024 with the Nomad Futurist Foundation to prepare workers for data center roles. The program operates through trade school campuses nationwide and includes short-form videos to engage younger workers.
Equinix and Digital Realty also offer educational programs in partnership with local schools and employees. Aramark, a hospitality services provider, signed a multiyear agreement to supply facility services to an undisclosed hyperscale data center operator.
CBRE established a new critical infrastructure services business line this year. The segment generated $1.7 billion in revenue in 2025.
What the Training Covers
Trainees learn roles including fiber optic installation, electrical work, HVAC maintenance, and plumbing. Training facilities include actual data center racks and equipment for hands-on experience.
CBRE Executive Vice President Alison Caplan, who leads the program, said candidates need more than technical skills. "There are different types of shift work, and you have to be comfortable working indoors or outdoors. You have to be comfortable following a schedule, training and safety is critical."
The first cohort begins July 15. Candidates go through screening, interviews, and online assessments to qualify.
A Long-Term Play
CBRE Chair and CEO Bob Sulentic told investors the company expects this to be an ongoing service. "We're recruiting and training those people and sending them not only into CBRE's teams to support Meta, but to our competitors and others in the market."
Meta President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick said in a statement that the future of AI depends on "a highly skilled U.S. workforce" to build and maintain the systems powering innovation.
The timing aligns with Meta's expansion. In April, the company announced its first Oklahoma data center-a $1 billion project in Tulsa spanning 2 million square feet. It's Meta's 32nd data center globally.
For real estate and construction professionals, the data center boom represents sustained demand for skilled workers and facility management expertise. AI for Real Estate & Construction and AI for Operations are increasingly shaping how these projects are managed and staffed.
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