Meta’s new “Workforce Academy” for blue-collar training is a sign that companies are moving to get ahead of the AI backlash — and step in where the government isn’t.
Launch sites are in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas — all places where Meta is building data centers, some of which have faced resistance from local communities. Meta is committing $115 million to the project and will guarantee graduates a job.
The debate is still open about how widespread AI layoffs will be — Apollo’s chief economist this morning noted rising job openings and said “there are no signs of workers being replaced by ChatGPT” — but anxiety is widespread. And the US had a shortage of electricians, welders, and other skilled manual laborers even before Meta and its rivals embarked on their AI buildouts.
There’s been little talk of a government-led effort to shift workers from industries that AI may shrink to those it will grow, and little confidence among elected officials that it would work. “If we simply do a traditional government training program, we’re going to screw it up,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told Semafor in April. That puts the onus on private companies to fill their own skills gaps.