Building Trades, Meta Announce Deal
To Invest in Skilled Trades for the AI Era
WASHINGTON—Meta and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) recently announced a new partnership to support skilled trades workers across the country, with plans to grow their investment and scale their efforts together over time.
“NABTU is proud to partner with Meta. The Future Is For Everyone Fund is exactly the kind of investment communities across America need and will value,” said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. “We look forward to working together to ensure the future of America is built by the men and women of America—all that’s needed is the workforce planning, industry partnerships, and sustained investment required to connect people with the jobs and family-sustaining careers”.
“We are so proud to work with NABTU on this partnership,” said Dina Powell McCormick, President and Vice Chairman of Meta. “I have had the privilege of working with President McGarvey since I took on this new role and we are so excited to work together on skilled trades. This is an important moment, and these men and women of the skilled trades are building the American infrastructure needed to ensure America’s values lead the AI race globally.”
The partnership comes as the country’s AI infrastructure buildout is driving unprecedented demand for highly skilled tradespeople. The people building this infrastructure are essential to the AI economy, and Meta and NABTU share a commitment to ensuring these workers have real access to the training, credentials, and full-time jobs this moment requires.
Building on Meta’s Future Is For Everyone Fund—was launched earlier this month to invest directly in communities’ teachers, first responders, and energy and water infrastructure—this partnership reflects a shared, long-term commitment to ensuring the workers and communities building America’s AI infrastructure benefit directly. Meta’s Workforce Academy will work with NABTU’s trusted Registered Apprenticeship programs to build strong career pathways into the skilled trades for participants.
Also, announced recently, North America’s Building Trades Unions, BlackRock, and the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the growth of domestic infrastructure, expand workforce participation opportunities, strengthen supply chain resilience, and foster long-term economic development associated with AI and energy infrastructure investment.
Through the MOU, AIP’s anticipated project pipeline will provide visibility to improve planning for future workforce needs. The parties will also explore opportunities that expand apprenticeship utilization, strengthen workforce training, build more recruitment initiatives, and better ensure viable long-term, family-sustaining career pathways.
Published: September 2, 2026.