NABTU, BlackRock, and AIP Sign MOU for AI and Energy Investment

The Facts -

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 10, 2026 — In a groundbreaking step towards the enhancement of the United States' infrastructure and workforce, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), BlackRock, and the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This collaboration aims to boost domestic infrastructure development, expand job opportunities, reinforce supply chain resilience, and promote sustained economic growth through investments in AI and energy infrastructure.

This MOU introduces a project pipeline from AIP that promises to streamline future workforce planning by offering greater visibility into upcoming projects. The partnership will actively seek ways to enhance apprenticeship programs, strengthen workforce training, and increase recruitment efforts, ensuring that career paths remain viable and family-sustaining in the long run.

As data usage soars, the demand for data centers and power generation infrastructure is predicted to surge, potentially creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs for skilled American workers. Meeting this demand will necessitate active dialogue among investors, labor organizations, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The collaboration between NABTU, BlackRock, and AIP is set to expand the skilled worker pipeline, thereby improving project execution across AIP's data center and infrastructure developments.

"NABTU is proud to partner with BlackRock and AIP to help build the skilled workforce that will power America’s data revolution," said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. "As we’ve said, there is no shortage of men and women ready to build America’s future; what is needed is the workforce planning, industry partnerships, and sustained investment required to connect people with world-class training and family-sustaining careers."

Highlighting the critical role of infrastructure in economic growth, Larry Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock, remarked, "As technology and data become increasingly important to U.S. economic growth, the infrastructure buildout required to drive innovation is creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in American workers." He added the collaboration reflects a shared belief in the benefits of infrastructure investment for job creation and economic opportunity.

Will Brilliant, Chief Executive Officer of AIP and Global Head of Digital Infrastructure at Global Infrastructure Partners, emphasized the strategic advantage of NABTU’s highly trained workforce, stating, "This relationship will bolster AIP and our companies’ ability to deliver mission-critical infrastructure projects with the scale, speed, and quality needed to generate strong outcomes for our clients." The partnership is anticipated to benefit American workers and their families through historic investments in infrastructure.

The MOU also highlights the advantages of a Responsible Contractor Program, which includes improved project execution certainty, enhanced workplace safety, and better operational reliability. It acknowledges that project labor agreements can be suitable for certain infrastructure projects.

Building on BlackRock’s previous commitments to augment the nation’s skilled labor force, this collaboration further solidifies support for skilled trades. In March, BlackRock launched BlackRock Future Builders, a $100 million philanthropic initiative aimed at training 50,000 Americans for skilled trades careers. The firm also collaborated with Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google to establish the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, a collective effort to expand access to trades training.

Both BlackRock and AIP will implement the MOU's principles in a manner consistent with their fiduciary responsibilities to clients.

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