The AI boom is underway, and it’s leading to a stronger demand for the skilled workers needed to build out data centers, networks, and other infrastructure.
According to the US Department of Education, roughly 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled by 2030, resulting in a potential economic loss of $1 trillion annually.
Looking to fill the gap, Lowe’s nonprofit arm and a coalition of some of the major players playing key roles in the build-out announced a new program on Tuesday to train and develop 1 million people for skilled trades careers by 2035.
The other companies involved in the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition include Nvidia (NVDA), AT&T (T), Bank of America (BAC), Carrier (CARR), General Motors (GM), DeWalt, and Duke Energy (DUK).
“The next industrial revolution won’t be built by algorithms alone,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said. “It will be built by the millions of skilled trade professionals who power, connect and move this country forward.”
According to data platform Aterio, there are over 7,000 data centers in various stages of operation, with roughly 2,000 in active use and 4,000 under construction.
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said the ramp-up of skilled workers was “needed to strengthen local economies and help drive American prosperity and competitiveness.”
The hiring is already ramping up. In the latest ADP report for August, the US added 12,000 construction jobs. Hiring in construction has slowed year-over-year compared with the 16,000 jobs added last August, but from 2020 to 2025, construction employment outpaced overall job growth.
One source of skilled tradespeople could be young workers, as more high school seniors opt for two-year vocational schools. A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that spring 2026 enrollment at vocational institutions increased by 2.8%, compared with 1.5% growth at public four-year undergraduate institutions.