Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 11, 2025
Aligned Data Centers Invests $100K in Skilled Trades Workforce Development
TLDR
- Aligned Data Centers gains a competitive edge by investing in skilled trades to ensure reliable infrastructure for demanding AI and cloud workloads.
- Aligned Data Centers donated $100,000 to fund mikeroweWORKS scholarships for HVAC, electrical, and plumbing training to address data center labor shortages.
- This donation creates pathways to rewarding careers in skilled trades, strengthening communities and supporting essential infrastructure for future generations.
- Mike Rowe's foundation received $100,000 from Aligned to fund work ethic scholarships for in-demand trades like welding and electrical work.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it addresses the critical skilled labor shortage affecting infrastructure development, particularly in the rapidly expanding data center industry that supports AI, cloud computing, and digital services. As demand for data centers grows exponentially to support technological advancement, the shortage of qualified tradespeople threatens project timelines, costs, and ultimately the infrastructure that powers our digital economy. This investment in workforce development helps ensure that the physical infrastructure needed for technological progress can be built and maintained efficiently, creating career opportunities in high-demand fields while supporting the backbone of our digital world. Readers should care because this affects the reliability and expansion of the digital services they use daily, from cloud storage to AI applications, while also creating valuable career pathways outside traditional four-year degree programs.
Summary
Aligned Data Centers, a leading provider of sustainable data center solutions for hyperscale, AI, and cloud workloads, has made a significant $100,000 donation to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. This substantial contribution directly supports the foundation's Work Ethic Scholarship Program, which provides funding for individuals seeking training in high-demand skilled trades essential for critical infrastructure development. The partnership represents a strategic investment in workforce development at a time when the data center industry faces growing demands for skilled professionals.
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, founded by television personality Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame, focuses on challenging misconceptions about skilled trades and addressing America's growing skills gap. The foundation's scholarship programs help individuals acquire certifications in welding, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other trades that are vital for constructing and maintaining state-of-the-art data center facilities. Michael Morris, Chief Development Officer of Aligned Data Centers, emphasized that this partnership represents a direct investment in the future workforce needed to build and operate the complex data centers powering AI, cloud, and enterprise applications.
This initiative aligns with Aligned Data Centers' broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments, which include education, community development, and sustainable practices. The donation will help make this the largest scholarship program in the foundation's history, building on their previous success of granting $16 million in work ethic scholarships. The collaboration underscores the critical intersection between technological advancement and the skilled labor required to support our increasingly digital economy.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, Aligned Data Centers Invests $100K in Skilled Trades Workforce Development
