QTS Data Centers announced Monday a $5 million grant to launch a skilled trades workforce program aimed at expanding training and career pathways in Cedar Rapids, Clinton and the surrounding Eastern Iowa region.
The funding is tied to the company’s data center campus now under construction at the Big Cedar Industrial Center and its broader support for education, workforce development and community initiatives in the area. The program is intended to help Iowans prepare for careers in construction, advanced manufacturing and related skilled trades.
“The demand for skilled workers is growing across Iowa and across the country,” said Tag Greason and David Robey, co-CEOs of QTS, in a joint statement. “This funding will help expand access to skilled trades training, apprenticeships and long-term career pathways for Iowans while supporting the workforce behind the region’s next generation of infrastructure. This contribution is part of our broader commitment to the market through our QTS Community Commitment Fund. We look forward to working with educators, unions and community partners across eastern Iowa to help more people build durable careers in the trades and ensure a lasting local impact through this investment.”
Greg Blank, CEO of Blackstone Infrastructure Strategies, and Josh Carson, senior managing director at Blackstone Real Estate, also issued a joint statement.
“We see workforce development as foundational to creating economic opportunity and sustaining long-term infrastructure investment,” they said. “By expanding access to skills training, apprenticeships and career pathways, this initiative will help more Iowans prepare for in-demand careers while strengthening the workforce that will support the region’s continued growth.”
Workforce demand
According to the release, infrastructure investment and changes in legacy manufacturing have affected parts of the regional workforce, while demand for skilled labor continues to grow, particularly in construction, advanced manufacturing and trades supporting modern infrastructure.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 81,000 annual job openings nationwide for electricians and 44,000 for plumbers and pipefitters over the next eight years, the release states. In Iowa, state labor market forecasts project construction as one of the state’s faster-growing sectors, with more than 5,700 jobs expected to be added through 2034.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said the trades have made a lasting impression on her.
“I’ve walked job sites, talked with apprentices, electricians, operators, ironworkers, laborers, and skilled craftspeople, and I’ve heard the same message over and over again: these careers have transformed lives,” Ms. O’Donnell said. “They provide financial security, opportunities to raise a family, and the pride that comes from building something that will serve generations. I believe the skilled trades are not just jobs of today, they are the workforce of the future. Growing this workforce means creating more pathways to prosperity, ensuring the next generation has every opportunity to build a successful career right here at home.”
Program details
QTS said it will deploy the $5 million across education and workforce development partners in Eastern Iowa, starting this year. The company said the program is expected to support thousands of students, apprentices and job seekers in construction and industrial trades, and is intended to make training more accessible and strengthen the local talent pipeline over time.
The grant will support high school Career and Technical Education programs in Cedar Rapids, Clinton and surrounding communities; scholarships and capacity building at select regional community colleges for construction trades, advanced manufacturing and related programs; a new pre-apprenticeship program developed with the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council; and apprenticeship training capacity with five union locals — IBEW Local 405, United Association Local 125, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 234, SMART Local 263 and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 308.
The Iowa Workforce Development Foundation will serve as fiscal intermediary, coordinating implementation among stakeholders, according to the release.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said workforce development has been a priority of her administration.
“Building a skilled and prepared workforce has long been a priority of my administration because it is the engine that drives business expansion, innovation, and long-term competitiveness,” Reynolds said. “This investment by QTS in skilled trade training strengthens the pipeline from education to employment, empowers Iowans to build meaningful careers in high-demand fields, and fuels prosperity across our state.”
Matt Resor, business manager for IBEW Local Union 405, said the investment would benefit electricians training in the trade.
“Strong apprenticeship programs create real career pathways while helping meet the growing demand for skilled electricians across Iowa,” Mr. Resor said. “QTS’s investment will help expand access to earn-and-learn training opportunities, strengthen the local talent pipeline and ensure more Iowans can build family-sustaining careers in the trades.”
Additional investment
The grant builds on other QTS investments in the region, including support for a new local IBEW training facility, according to the release. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company.
