The real AI talent war is for plumbers and electricians

“We always have a lot more people applying than we actually accept into our apprenticeship programs,” Madillo explains. He adds that the number of trainees accepted depends largely on the number of union members expected to retire in the coming years.

However, one problem is training people quickly enough to work on data center projects. The work itself isn’t much different from other plumbing jobs, Quinonez says, but data centers are built to strict schedules, leaving little room for delays or errors.

This is important because apprentices typically learn while working alongside more experienced plumbers on active construction sites. In data center projects, Quinonez says, companies are less willing to take risks, as small mistakes can slow down the project.

“It can be very costly for the contractor if something goes wrong,” he explains. He adds that interns and trainees may have to undergo “more rigorous training” before being assigned to help build a data center.

David Long, CEO of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), says the group has done a good job of keeping up with retirements by training new electricians. But the scale and technical requirements of data center projects made it a “challenge” — which he says NECA adequately meets — to ensure all workers are on board quickly and safely.

Charles White, who oversees regulatory affairs at Primary Health Care Corporation, tells WIRED that there are plenty of incentives for plumbers, pipe fitters and HVAC technicians to work in data centers. Projects typically offer higher wages than other types of construction, in part because of their tight schedules, which increases the likelihood that workers will log overtime.

White adds that high demand for plumbers motivates workers to change employers, often enticed by the longer hours and therefore better wages offered by data center developers.

“I hear these stories all the time,” Quiñonez tells WIRED. “You’ll get your money quickly because you’re dealing with Amazon, Google, or a big tech company. So there’s competition across the board.”

“Competition is getting fierce,” Quiñonez adds. “Part of the problem is that we don’t have enough plumbers and HVAC technicians.”

In any industry, companies are always competing for a limited pool of workforce. But in construction, Madelo says, some of the pressure is offset by a reserve of traveling tradesmen, who are ready to show up “any time you’re building something in the middle of nowhere.”

It is unclear how long demand for traders will last after the crisis Artificial intelligence boom It eventually starts to fade. When construction is completed, data centers typically keep a small crew on-site around the clock, along with a network of outside contractors who handle repairs to multiple facilities.

“When the project is finished, they don’t crawl with people,” White tells WIRED. “But you have all these things that have to be maintained and systems running. So a certain number of those people will stay and join the maintenance crew or the operations crew.”

If the construction sector eventually dwindles, there may not be enough replacement jobs, especially if the U.S. economy enters a recession. But for now, business is great, and it’s anyone’s guess how things will turn out. “Is it a sustainable boom? Will it collapse spectacularly?” Basu says. “Does activity gradually decline once the boom phase ends?”