Meta–CBRE LevelUp

Meta and CBRE have launched LevelUp, a free four-week training program meant to turn people with no prior experience into fiber technicians for U.S. data center projects. (about.fb.com) The companies announced the program on April 20, 2026, and said CBRE will run multiple training centers in the United States starting this summer. Meta said the initiative is multi-year and aims to train thousands of workers. (cbre.com) Fiber technicians install the cables, racks, network gear and other equipment that let data centers move information inside the building. Meta said LevelUp graduates will be trained on that work and can be placed at Meta construction sites through its contractor network. (datacenters.atmeta.com) The hiring push lands as technology companies race to build more data centers for artificial intelligence computing, which needs large buildings packed with servers and high-speed connections. Meta said demand for data center projects is rising while the fiber technician field and the broader construction industry face a nationwide shortage. (datacenters.atmeta.com) That shortage is not limited to one company. The Associated General Contractors of America and the National Center for Construction Education and Research said in their 2025 workforce survey that the construction industry continues to face a skilled labor shortage, based on responses from nearly 1,400 firms. (agc.org) Meta and CBRE are pitching LevelUp as a faster on-ramp than a traditional trade path. The program has no tuition or fees, is open to applicants nationwide, and is aimed at recent high school graduates, career changers and workers moving into skilled trades. (datacenters.atmeta.com) CBRE said the curriculum is designed to be useful beyond Meta’s own projects, with training in skills used across construction and data center work. That gives the program a second purpose: staffing Meta builds now while creating a broader labor pool for a fast-growing corner of construction. (cbre.com) Industry outlets have tied the program to a wider bottleneck in fiber work. Fierce Network reported in January that ribbon fiber lead times had stretched past 60 weeks as suppliers tried to serve both data center demand and federally backed broadband projects. (fierce-network.com) Construction Dive reported that CBRE will stand up and operate the training centers, underscoring how large contractors are moving from recruiting workers to building their own pipelines. For Meta, the immediate test comes this summer, when the first cohorts are expected to begin training. (constructiondive.com)