CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (July 14, 2026) — QTS Data Centers (“QTS”), a global digital infrastructure leader, today announced a $5 million grant to launch a skilled trades workforce program to expand access to training and career pathways across Cedar Rapids, Clinton, and the greater eastern Iowa region.
The investment is part of QTS’s broader commitment to the communities where it builds and operates, including its planned data center campus at the Big Cedar Industrial Center and its ongoing support for local education, workforce development and community priorities. The program is designed to help more Iowans prepare for in-demand 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. “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.”
“We see workforce development as foundational to creating economic opportunity and sustaining long-term infrastructure investment,” said Greg Blank, CEO of Blackstone Infrastructure Strategies and Josh Carson, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone Real Estate. “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.”
A Region Poised for Growth
Significant infrastructure investment and recent changes in legacy manufacturing have affected parts of the regional workforce. Demand for skilled labor continues to grow, especially in construction, advanced manufacturing and the trades that support modern infrastructure.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong and sustained demand across the skilled trades, including approximately 81,000 annual openings for electricians and 44,000 for plumbers and pipefitters nationwide on average over the next eight years. In Iowa, construction is projected to be one of the state’s faster-growing sectors, with more than 5,700 jobs expected to be added through 2034, according to state labor market forecasts. These trends reflect growing demand for skilled workers to support infrastructure investment and regional economic growth.
“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,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell. “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 Overview
Starting in 2026, QTS will deploy $5 million in funding across education and workforce development partners throughout eastern Iowa. The program is expected to support thousands of students, apprentices and job seekers in the construction and industrial trades. It will make training more accessible, help students and workers move more easily into apprenticeships and jobs, and strengthen the local talent pipeline over time. The grant will support:
- High school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs across Cedar Rapids, Clinton, and surrounding communities, expanding student exposure to skilled trades careers through hands-on training, dual enrollment, career exploration, and employer engagement opportunities
- Select regional community colleges, supporting scholarships and capacity building across construction trades, advanced manufacturing, and related programs, with select pathways connecting students to careers at QTS and across the region
- A new pre-apprenticeship program, delivered in collaboration with the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council, expanding access to a no-cost, industry-recognized pathway into registered apprenticeships
- Union-affiliated apprenticeship training capacity, including partnerships with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 405, United Association (UA) Local 125, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 234, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 263, and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) Local 308.
- The Iowa Workforce Development Foundation (IWDF), serving as fiscal intermediary to support program implementation and coordination across stakeholders to ensure smooth transitions for students along the career pathways
“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,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “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.”
“Strong apprenticeship programs create real career pathways while helping meet the growing demand for skilled electricians across Iowa,” said Matt Resor, Business Manager, IBEW Local Union 405. “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.”
A Long-Term Commitment to Iowa
The skilled trades grant builds on QTS’s broader investment in Cedar Rapids and eastern Iowa. QTS is also supporting the development of a new local IBEW training facility, further strengthening regional training capacity. Together, these investments reflect QTS’s approach to community partnership: building critical digital infrastructure while investing in people, supporting local priorities and helping create lasting economic opportunity in the communities where it operates.
About QTS
QTS is a global data center leader with unrivaled access to scalable infrastructure across North America and Europe. QTS delivers state-of-the-art data center solutions, robust connectivity, and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities at gigawatt scale. QTS prioritizes investing responsibly in the communities where it builds and operates. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company.
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