UNITED STATES: Last year, the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) Geoffrey Hinton said the age of AI is a great time to be a plumber. Just this week, that line starts to feel a bit more real, as Meta launched a funded skilled trades programme offering free training and guaranteed jobs after graduation.

On Monday (June 8), Meta launched the America’s Workforce Academy (AWA) in partnership with the National Urban League, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), and CBRE, to support the buildout of AI data centres, the infrastructure needed to power its AI push.

The programme, initially funded with a US$115 million investment, will first launch in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas this year.

It is open to qualified veterans, recent graduates, career changers and other new entrants to the trades across all 50 states, with no prior experience required.

Graduates will receive verified, industry-standard credentials in fields such as electrical work, mechanical systems and plumbing.

Meta will also cover all costs, including tuition, airfare and lodging, while providing trainees with a daily stipend during training.

A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that jobs on offer will be full-time roles with general contractors supporting Meta’s data centre buildout, although it was not specified how many positions would be available.

In other news, netizens were surprised to see a new role emerge amid layoff headlines linked to AI, after a worker said their startup suddenly introduced a new role called “AI Agent Manager”. /TISG

Read also: Construction and sustainability costs keep Singapore the world’s second-most expensive market to build data centres

This article (AI needs more than coders: Meta launches training programme with guaranteed jobs) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.