Today, Meta is launching
America’s Workforce Academy (AWA) — a nationwide, fast-track to a long-term career in a skilled trade, powered by an initial $115 million first year investment.
It’s the largest private-sector commitment to the skilled trades with a job guarantee in American history. You can read more about AWA in
Meta’s Newsroom Post and a
Wall Street Journal op-ed co-authored by Dina Powell McCormick and Mike Rowe. We’re proud that Indiana will be home to one of our four 2026 pilot locations for this program.
The American AI buildout represents one of the most significant economic opportunities for workers in a generation. The demand for skilled tradespeople — electricians, plumbers, fiber technicians — is outpacing the workforce pipeline. AWA addresses this gap head-on.
We are excited to launch AWA here in Indiana, along with Louisiana, Ohio, and Texas as our 2026 pilot locations, but the program is open to applicants in all 50 states. The program is completely free to participants — Meta covers all travel and provides a daily stipend. Every graduate will leave with a verified, industry-standard credential in high-demand fields such as electrical work, mechanical systems and plumbing — and a job waiting for them with a Meta partner at one of our sites,
including in Lebanon where local residents will be able to apply for opportunities right here in their community.
AWA builds upon the huge demand we saw for Meta’s first major initiative of this kind, Level-Up, Meta’s fiber installation training program. When we launched Level-Up in April we received 35,000 applications for 1,000 spots in just the first week. That demand is what motivated us to scale, and we’re just getting started.
Meta can’t solve this alone. We’re calling on our industry peers to join us in training the workers who will build America’s future. The demand for skilled trades will only grow as AI infrastructure, energy, and construction expand over the coming decades.
This program is part of Meta’s broader investment in Indiana, where we’re proud that our data center infrastructure is creating lasting economic opportunity for the people of Lebanon and Jeffersonville.
