Building the future of skilled trades: Be Pro Be Proud
Since 2023, Meta is proud to partner with Be Pro Be Proud, an initiative dedicated to fostering pride and professionalism in the skilled trades across the United States. This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting our data center communities by creating potential career paths in skilled trades.
Skilled tradespeople are responsible for constructing and retrofitting our U.S. data centers – to date, Meta has over 30,000 skilled trade jobs to construct our data centers. Building and retrofitting our data centers supports thousands of skilled trade jobs — steel workers, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters — with local construction contractors across the United States. At peak construction, there are typically more than 1,000 construction workers on a Meta data center site.
We work hand in hand with our data center community partners to promote local opportunities and have the training and resources they need to succeed in training the local workforce for these roles through programs like Be Pro Be Proud. By investing in Be Pro Be Proud, Meta is supporting the industries that build our essential infrastructure and helping to prepare the next generation of skilled trade workers.
54,000+
Students introduced to immersive hands-on skilled trades workforce development experiences
15+
Hands-on immersive learning activations delivered in data center communities across North America since 2023 as part of the Be Pro Be Proud partnership
$1M+
To support the Be Pro Be Proud partnership
Hands-on vocational training
Meta data centers are major employers and economic drivers in their regions. Investing in local talent through vocational training ensures that community members have access to stable, well-paying careers, supporting long-term economic growth and resilience.
Our partnership with Be Pro Be Proud has delivered transformative hands-on vocational training to students in our data center communities across the United States. Through mobile workshops equipped with Meta Quest VR headsets and advanced simulators, more than 54,000 students have gained immersive exposure to technical professions such as welding, carpentry, electrical work, and commercial truck driving.
These workshops travel directly to schools and community events, making career exploration accessible and engaging for young people. In states like New Mexico, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and North Carolina, students have benefited from interactive experiences that connect them to educational pathways and local job opportunities. By leveraging technology and community partnerships, Be Pro Be Proud is inspiring the next generation of skilled professionals and helping build a stronger, more resilient workforce in Meta data center regions.
Connecting students to educational pathways and local job opportunities helps build a pipeline of skilled professionals, supporting both our operational needs and the broader community’s workforce requirements.
Meta is proud to partner with Be Pro Be Proud
We are committed to being a good neighbor and investing in the long-term vitality of the communities where we operate. To date, Meta has sponsored Be Pro Be Proud activation programs across multiple states where we have data centers. Learn more about the initiative.
Workforce Development
New Albany, OH
Our New Albany Data Center team was so excited to welcome Be Pro Be Proud back to Ohio in 2025. Nearly 300 students and faculty from Columbus City Schools Fort Hayes Career Center and Downtown High School hopped aboard the Be Pro Be Proud mobile workshop to learn about professions in the skilled trades through hands-on demonstrations and Meta Quest headsets.
Workforce Development
Bowling Green, OH
In partnership with OhioX, Be Pro Be Proud and Bowling Green State University, we welcomed nearly 150 students from Otsego Local School District, Eastwood Local Schools, and Bowling Green City Schools, Ohio to showcase opportunities and careers in the skilled trades!
Workforce Development
Los Lunas, NM
Through the Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Workshop, students from around the state can explore high-paying professions right here in New Mexico such as manufacturing, construction, computer programming, commercial truck driving, and more.
Workforce Development
Gallatin, TN
Students from Sumner County Schools, Tennessee had the opportunity to experience the Be Pro Be Proud workshop firsthand showcasing technical professions in welding, heavy equipment operation, electrical, and beyond alongside community leaders from across the state.
Why skilled trades matter to Meta
Skilled trades workers, from steel workers to pipefitters, electricians, carpenters, and fiber technicians, have been building and retrofitting our U.S. data centers for more than a decade. By investing in Be Pro Be Proud, Meta is supporting the industries and businesses that build our critical infrastructure, helping to prepare the next generation of skilled trade workers.
Be Pro Be Proud’s mission is to foster a new era of pride, progress and professionalism in North America’s skilled trade workforce. We’re excited to continue this journey, helping young people discover rewarding career paths that contribute to their local economies and the global digital landscape. Together, we’re building a future-ready workforce.
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