Building and maintaining the infrastructure of America’s future requires a massive, coordinated workforce of skilled tradespeople—from welders and pipefitters who secure complex cooling systems to electricians and fiber technicians who operate advanced network networks. These jobs offer high-paying careers that can support local communities. There are currently hundreds of thousands of skilled trades roles open across the US waiting to be filled.
Today, Google is expanding our overall support for skilled workers to help prepare more than 300,000 American workers in more than 20 states. Through a $50 million commitment from Google.org, funds will go directly to the training experts who build these programs from the ground up. Their work will support 14 unions and four trade and contractor associations, ensuring workers have the advanced skills and accreditation to pursue skilled careers wherever they want to work. It also builds on funding Google has provided to help the Electrical Education ALLIANCE (etA) train tens of thousands of electricians, and the Manufacturing Institute to train tens of thousands of current and future manufacturing workers in essential AI skills.
How to do it:
- Construction apprentices: TradesFutures, an organization created by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and its industry partners, will increase access to union construction careers. They will do this by scaling placement from apprenticeship readiness programs to registered apprenticeships across the country and integrating AI operational tools to improve candidate placement.
- Electricians: EtA, formed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), will assist local training programs by bringing additional resources directly to high-demand infrastructure hubs through an innovative mobile training center pilot.
- Plumbers, pipe fitters, welders and service technicians: The United Association’s International Training Fund (ITF), operating in partnership with the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), will develop a five-year roadmap for scaling the HVAC sector and help prepare people with the skills to build, maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure.
- Plate mounting: Supported by Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Workers and Sheet Metal and Air Contractors (SMACNA), the International Training Institute for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry will address a critical shortage by modernizing its courses and apprenticeship support while implementing new AI tools.
No single entity can solve this American workforce shortage on its own. There must be commitment across industry, civil society and government, so that together we can build modern on-the-job training and expand apprenticeships. By supporting the training experts and trade organizations that keep America running, we’re helping build a public-private model to prepare the next generation of American builders.
We have long worked with organizations across the United States to train Americans for careers that create long-term opportunities for families and economic impact for their communities. Since 2022, Google has provided more than $1 billion globally in training and skills initiatives that have helped over 100 million people gain essential digital and AI skills. Today’s funding from Google.org’s AI Opportunity Fund for skilled workers is the next step in the journey to ensure that the doors to a thriving economic future remain wide open for all. Learn more on our website.