America can't compete with China in AI without these workers, Meta's president says
Meta's America's Workforce Academy offers paid training and industry-recognized credentials in four states
Meta President Dina Powell McCormick and CEO of mikeroweWORKS Foundation Mike Rowe join ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss a new $115 million workforce initiative offering free training and guaranteed skilled-trade jobs.
Tech companies racing to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure are increasingly running into a challenge that has little to do with software or chips: finding enough skilled workers to build and maintain the facilities powering the AI boom.
Meta President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick and mikeroweWORKS Foundation CEO Mike Rowe joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria" to discuss America’s Workforce Academy, a new training initiative aimed at connecting workers with skilled-trade careers tied to data center and infrastructure development.
American flag flies behind a construction worker during construction of a new building. ( Mario Tama / Getty Images)
The program comes as major technology companies invest billions of dollars in new AI-related projects across the United States. Expanding that infrastructure requires electricians, fiber technicians, welders and other skilled workers, many of whom remain in short supply as demand accelerates.
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Powell McCormick said the initiative is designed to help workers access training without stepping away from their current jobs for extended periods. Participants receive paid training, earn industry-recognized credentials and are guaranteed a job opportunity upon completion.
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Those workforce needs have become increasingly important as policymakers and business leaders frame AI development as part of a broader competition with China. Building data centers, power infrastructure and communications networks requires a large pipeline of trained workers capable of supporting long-term expansion.
"If the country, if America doesn't come together and ensure that we frankly treat these workers as the American heroes that they are, without them, we can't compete with China," Powell McCormick said.
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Rowe, whose foundation has spent years promoting careers in the skilled trades, said many of the jobs needed for the next phase of infrastructure growth remain largely overlooked despite offering strong earning potential.
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"The jobs we're talking about, by and large, exist out of sight and out of mind," Rowe said.
Meta said the academy will initially launch in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Texas, with plans to help connect workers to careers supporting the growing demand for American infrastructure and AI development.
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