Pandora’s Box has been opened, and there is no putting artificial intelligence (AI) back in. While some are still apprehensive, many have seen the extensive benefits of AI and have started using it in their everyday lives. Quick access to information, clear communication, health questions, and creative assistance are just a few areas where AI can provide solutions. Regardless of your viewpoint on AI, it is here. So too is the demand to provide it.

Demand drives supply, and AI’s availability relies heavily on the development of additional data centers worldwide. Companies recognized as leaders in big data, such as Amazon (AWS), Google (Alphabet), Microsoft (Azure), Facebook (Meta), and Oracle, are investing billions into data center construction to meet growing demand. Not only must they meet this demand, but they must do so rapidly. After all, being first to market often provides the best return on investment. However, all the money in the world will not produce the necessary data centers without sufficient skilled labor to construct them.

The hidden power behind AI

At a higher level, AI is often associated with things like algorithms, software, and silicon. Silicon powers processors, but those same processors are housed in data centers. To function, data centers require a reliable electrical infrastructure to power the building: lighting, outlets, networks, and servers that use those same silicon-based processors at the root of AI generation.

Building a reliable electrical infrastructure requires qualified electricians. This seems to be well understood in the big data industry, as evidenced by the millions of dollars companies like Meta and Google have invested recently in skilled trades training, along with their already significant investments in expanding data center infrastructure. They clearly understand that one does not happen without the other.

AI components such as algorithms, software, and silicon processors are like the high-performance engine, transmission, and control systems of a cutting-edge electric vehicle. They embody the power and intelligence under the hood, but no matter how advanced those components are, without the fuel (electricity) to power them, the vehicle will not move. Data centers can be considered the roads and charging stations that deliver that essential power, and electricians are, in turn, the skilled mechanics who build and maintain this vital infrastructure. Without their expertise in wiring data centers to provide reliable power, the AI components remain silent and on standby, like parts without a purpose.

Where are the electricians?

Great question. To say we have a significant skilled labor shortage is likely an understatement, but it did not happen overnight. The problem we face now has been several decades in the making, which I have watched unfold over my 30-plus years as a third-generation master electrician. While many areas have contributed to this imperfect skilled trades storm, some have contributed more than others.

Four-year college degrees have long been promoted by secondary education and many parents as the preferred career path, while skilled trades have been presented as a fallback plan. When I became a master electrician at 22, society might assume I wasn’t cut out for college, as if calculating branch circuits, voltage drop, and feeder sizes based on demand factors were something that could be handled by anyone without specialized knowledge. I certainly could have pursued a college degree right after high school, I just chose to follow my passion early in life.

For the record, I also earned a bachelor’s degree two years ago while working full-time and supporting a family of six. I took online classes and dedicated my nights and weekends to my studies, graduating summa cum laude. This clearly demonstrates my ability to succeed in higher education, even though it wasn’t my initial passion. Being an electrician was never a fallback; it was a deliberate and capable career choice.

I am not the only one to find success in the trades, but far too many have been pushed away from viable career paths without access to the proper information needed to make fact-based decisions. We have created the labor shortage we’re facing because the skilled trades have not been promoted as worthwhile career options, and the removal of exploratory vocational classes from public education funding has left a significant gap. Today, the challenge is having enough skilled labor to build data centers; tomorrow, it will be something else.

So, where are the electricians? They are out there, but now we must do the work we’ve neglected for the past three decades: find them, inspire them, and train them. Given the high demand for data center construction and the ongoing needs of other industries that require qualified electricians, like manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energies, and building EV charging infrastructure, we must act quickly.

Training qualified electricians to meet the AI demand

There is an important distinction between “qualified electrician” and “electrician,” both in practical application and in the codes and standards that electricians utilize daily, such as NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, and NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Used collectively, these three documents are known as the NFPA Electrical Cycle of Safety (ECoS).

While the immediate demand for electricians to support the AI-driven surge in data center construction is undeniable, we can’t lose sight of the critical need to supply the industry with qualified electricians. Large data companies must be diligent in specifying this requirement for their projects.

The need for qualified electricians should be aligned with the desired outcomes of building owners and occupants. Given the significant investment these facilities represent, it is reasonable to expect electrical systems that not only function properly but also offer long-term functionality and reliability.

There is a clear mandate in codes and standards requiring that electrical work be performed by qualified electricians, referred to as “qualified persons” within the ECoS. The NEC, along with standards such as NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E, specifies that certain electrical equipment installations and servicing tasks must be carried out by qualified individuals following established safe work practices. While the definitions of a qualified person vary slightly among these documents, they all agree that such a person is someone who has received proper training.

Most able-bodied individuals can learn to run conduit, pull wire, and perform basic electrical installation tasks. However, a qualified electrician possesses the knowledge and skills developed through proper training and mentorship. This additional expertise helps ensure the work is done correctly, beyond just looking decent and functioning properly for a short time. It means applying accurate calculations when needed, questioning designs that seem off, and ultimately providing owners and occupants with electrical systems that minimize risk, assuming proper ongoing maintenance takes place.

Maintenance is another critical area that will continue to demand properly trained, qualified electricians. Even the best electrical installations degrade over time with use. The high-power demands of data centers place additional stress on electrical systems, requiring qualified electricians to maintain them long after the original installation crews have moved on.

Training qualified electricians does not happen overnight, but we should be open to exploring new training methods. Just because apprenticeship models have traditionally taken four to five years does not mean they need to remain unchanged, especially given the technological advancements that have transformed how training can be delivered. The duration of these programs could evolve as new methods and technologies continue to improve training efficiency and effectiveness.

We should also continue to find innovative ways to transfer knowledge from experienced professionals exiting their careers to others in the industry, especially new trainees. Ironically, modifications in the way we train may include AI and virtual technologies to deliver essential knowledge and place trainees in realistic virtual scenarios where they can make decisions, see results, and learn safely. Real-world skills and knowledge that have not always been easily and effectively conveyed through textbooks, which have long been the primary tool in apprenticeship programs.

And some of these improvements are well underway. Long-time electrical labor providers like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) continue to refine their training models to determine how expedited training might help supply meet demand, with the output still being highly qualified electricians. As part of the revised process, we must ensure that rapid workforce development does not compromise safety, either in electrical installations or the well-being of the workers themselves.

Completing the circuit on AI and the demand for electricians

Behind every advanced AI system lies a schematic diagram of skilled and foundational electrical work. While AI gets attention for its algorithms and processors that help improve our daily lives, it is the data centers and, maybe more importantly, the electricians who build and maintain them that keep the systems running reliably and safely. Without a well-trained and available electrical workforce, the rapid expansion required to meet AI demand would simply not be possible.

Addressing this challenge requires a renewed focus on attracting, training, and retaining qualified electricians. The skilled labor shortage has been decades in the making and will not be remedied without deliberate action. By valuing apprenticeships and making them more readily available, embracing innovative training methods, and promoting the trades as viable, rewarding career paths, the industry can close the gap that others have created. As AI continues to evolve and expand, the demand for qualified electricians will only increase, making it essential that workforce development keeps pace to power both the technology itself and the people that are constructing the buildings to deliver it.