Fort Wayne is building
data centers

Fort Wayne, IN has about 1.2 GW of AI data centers across 2 sites, with 950 MW still to build. The builders here include Google.

At the busiest point, about 1,824 skilled workers will be on these sites at once, across all the trades. Many drive in from nearby towns, but the work starts here — and it is not split evenly, so some trades are short and some are not.

Worth training up for? Around Fort Wayne, the data centers look most short on ironworkers, network/low-voltage technicians, electricians, sheet metal workers, and carpenters. Here is the read by trade.

Ironworkers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 256 ironworkers, but only about 28 of the Fort Wayne area's ironworkers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Fort Wayne area short about 228. When builders cannot find enough ironworkers, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.

Network/low-voltage technicians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 114 network/low-voltage technicians, but only about 60 of the Fort Wayne area's network/low-voltage technicians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Fort Wayne area short about 54. When builders cannot find enough network/low-voltage technicians, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.

Electricians — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 513 electricians, but only about 362 of the Fort Wayne area's electricians are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Fort Wayne area short about 151. When builders cannot find enough electricians, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.

Sheet metal workers — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 57 sheet metal workers, but only about 45 of the Fort Wayne area's sheet metal workers are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Fort Wayne area short about 12. When builders cannot find enough sheet metal workers, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.

Carpenters — worth training up: YES, big shortage. At the busiest point the data centers need about 314 carpenters, but only about 290 of the Fort Wayne area's carpenters are free to take it on — the rest are busy with their regular jobs, which do not stop. That leaves the Fort Wayne area short about 24. When builders cannot find enough carpenters, the ones already working put in overtime (bigger paychecks), and builders pay to train new people and bring in workers from other states.

HVAC/R technicians — worth training up: YES, tight. The data centers need about 114 hvac/r technicians at the busiest point — close to all of the ~138 hvac/r technicians the Fort Wayne area has free for this kind of work. Expect overtime, steady work, and builders willing to train.

These are some of the best-paying jobs you can get without a four-year degree. When a trade is short, builders run overtime and pay to train, and experienced workers can clear $100,000 a year, with health care and a pension through the union. It is the same across the country: builders cannot find enough skilled workers. The U.S. needs about 140,000 more trade workers by 2030 to build all the data centers, and most builders say hiring is their hardest problem. Microsoft's president has called the shortage of electricians the biggest thing slowing data centers down.

You sign up and get your license through Indiana. The Indiana trade pages show you how to start. Sources: a national survey of data-center building plans, plus U.S. jobs and pay data.