KEY POINTS
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Partners Meta and CBRE say course is free, and graduates gain skills for data center and construction-adjacent roles.
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Program will provide pipeline for fiber technicians to work on Meta’s upcoming data center builds.
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This launch comes as ConstructConnect News reports 2026 year-to-date spending on data centers has reached $36.9B.
Days after a new survey signaled that data center construction is straining the trade-based labor market, Meta launched a new program aimed at closing the gap for jobsite fiber technicians.
The Facebook parent company says the new LevelUp Fiber Technician Pathway will be a free, four-week training program designed to turn candidates with no experience into fiber technicians who are ready to work on data center construction sites.
The program is being launched in partnership with commercial real estate firm CBRE, which will handle its operation. Meta and CBRE plan to run the program for at least the next few years.
Why is Meta’s LevelUp focusing on developing fiber technicians?
Meta notes that the role of a fiber technician is essential to building world‑class data centers. The company currently operates nearly 30 data centers in the U.S., including a forthcoming $1.5 billion campus in El Paso, Texas, that broke ground late last year.
What will Meta’s LevelUp coursework be like?
According to Meta, classroom instruction, labs, and team exercises will be used to build the necessary skills. Once candidates successfully complete the four-week program, Meta and CBRE say the graduates will have pathways to work on data center projects and in other construction‑adjacent roles, not just on facilities being built by Meta.
Why are Meta and CBRE launching LevelUp this year?
The timing of the program is significant. Earlier this month, ConstructConnect News reported on talent company Randstad USA’s latest survey, which found that the ongoing AI buildout is rapidly increasing demand for the workers needed to construct these specialized centers.
The survey found that demand for HVAC engineers has risen 77.89% since 2022, while the need for trades like electricians and other specialists has grown by an average of 30%.
In ConstructConnect News’ April 2026 Data Center Report, Chief Economist Michael Guckes notes that year-to-date spending on data center construction in the U.S. has reached $36.9 billion. In 2025, that figure was only $1.4 billion. With so many data center and AI-related projects underway, and many more about to start, it’s easy to see why fiber technicians are in high demand.
How can someone sign up for Meta’s LevelUp fiber technician program?
Meta says its data center buildouts have supported more than 30,000 skilled‑trade construction jobs since 2010. As the pace of these projects increases, they expect to need more workers, especially fiber-focused specialists.
Anyone interested in applying for the LevelUp Fiber Technician Pathway can do so through Meta Engineering’s website.
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