Meta's LevelUp Program

Meta and CBRE are launching a multiyear training program to supply thousands of technicians for Meta’s U.S. data center buildout. (businesswire.com) The program, called LevelUp, will train workers to install fiber-optic cable, equipment racks and other hardware inside Meta facilities. Meta and CBRE said training centers are scheduled to open this summer. (businesswire.com) CBRE said the program is aimed at recent high school graduates and people changing careers, with a goal of creating “job-ready technicians” for a field with competitive pay. Business Insider reported the first course is designed as a four-week program. (cbre.com) (businessinsider.com) Fiber is the glass strand that carries data as pulses of light, and technicians install and connect those lines so servers can talk to one another. In data centers, those workers also mount racks and wire up the physical systems that let computing equipment come online. (businesswire.com) Meta tied the hiring push to a larger U.S. expansion. The company said in March that it operates in 27 data center regions and is investing billions of dollars in AI-optimized infrastructure across the country. (about.fb.com 1) (about.fb.com 2) That buildout has grown in size this year. Meta said in February that its new Lebanon, Indiana campus is designed for 1 gigawatt of capacity and represents more than $10 billion of investment, and in March it said its El Paso, Texas project would also grow to 1 gigawatt with investment rising above $10 billion. (about.fb.com 1) (about.fb.com 2) CBRE’s latest North America market report said vacancy in primary data center markets fell to 1.4% at the end of 2025, while power, permitting and construction delays constrained new supply. The firm’s 2026 outlook said demand is still climbing as AI and cloud companies seek larger sites. (cbre.com 1) (cbre.com 2) Meta has framed the labor push as part of a domestic industrial buildout around AI. The company said in November 2025 that its data center projects since 2010 have supported more than 30,000 skilled-trade jobs and 5,000 operational jobs in the U.S. (about.fb.com) The immediate next step is simple: open the training centers this summer and start moving new workers onto construction sites. Meta’s AI expansion now depends not only on chips and power, but on enough people to run cable and install the machines. (businesswire.com)