Building the Next Era for Construction Jobs

Earlier this year, the White House convened leaders from AI companies, data center operators, utility companies, and hyperscalers for a roundtable discussion of the most critical imperative of our time: ensuring America’s continued leadership on AI.

Developing the infrastructure needed for AI – including building more data centers and scaling energy production to meet demand – is vital to America’s economic prosperity and national security. Leaders agreed that it’s equally important that AI is developed to create opportunities for American workers rather than simply automating work.

I’ve seen firsthand how the AI boom creates safe, meaningful, and well-paid construction jobs. But a shortage of skilled workers threatens the industry’s progress.

Let’s dig into what’s driving this shortage.

  1. Technical transformation of the construction industry – Technology is transforming construction, from prefabrication techniques to augmented reality tools. Unfortunately, skills haven’t kept pace with the rate of change, meaning there aren’t enough workers who know how to apply these technologies to construction.
  1. Lack of diversity in construction – The construction industry has made great strides in diversity in recent years. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 11% of construction industry workers are women, and 88% are white. Additionally, women only make up 4% of the skilled trade workforce. In an industry struggling to recruit and retain talent, welcoming a wider pool of diverse talent is critical.
  1. Changing demographics – Between 2023 and 2020, the percentage of construction workers who were 55 and over nearly doubled to 22.7%. As more young people opt for college degrees over careers in construction or skilled trades and older workers prepare for retirement, it’s become harder for the industry to recruit new skilled workers. Workers seeking higher pay and better working conditions are going elsewhere. Unfortunately, many of those younger workers would be well-suited to jobs focused on emerging technologies in construction.

So, what’s the solution here?

Adopting more efficient technologies like modular construction and automation can improve productivity for construction workers, creating a better, safer working environment for employees. With more predictability and a systematic approach to construction, workers can benefit from more regular working hours, making the job more desirable.

In addition to creating an environment that is more welcoming to a diverse workforce, the industry must also invest in upskilling today’s construction workers and foster bidirectional mentorship that values the knowledge of more experienced and fresh generations. Only then will we gain the skill sets needed for the changing nature of our work.

At the White House roundtable, many leaders called for accelerating the permitting process for new data centers and the energy infrastructure required for AI. While I join them, I also urge our industry to consider how we will meet the demand for skilled workers if this acceleration occurs. By investing in upskilling and mentorship programs and broadening the pool of talent we recruit from, we can rise to the occasion.

Nancy Novak

Chief Innovation Officer, Compass Datacenters
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