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A Food Dive sponsored report says data center, megaproject and infrastructure construction is drawing skilled tradespeople away from food and beverage projects. It points to owner-funded training and partnerships with contractors and educators as ways to build the craft workforce, while the scale of the shortage’s effect on individual projects remains unclear.
Food and beverage manufacturers planning plant expansions and other capital projects face greater competition for skilled tradespeople as data centers, megaprojects and infrastructure construction draw from the same labor pools, according to a Food Dive sponsored report. The report says workforce shortages can put project schedules and budgets at risk and argues that owners, contractors and educators need to plan training alongside construction.
The report describes a shift from relying on regional labor markets to supply workers after a project is awarded toward direct investment in craft workforce development. Citing Burns & McDonnell’s Construction Market Update, it says project owners are funding training programs and investing upfront to build the workforce needed for their capital plans. It names Meta, Google, Micron and BlackRock among firms that have committed to craft training, with major technology and investment companies collectively investing more than $265 million, according to the report.
One measure cited for the wider construction industry is an Associated General Contractors of America survey: more than 92% of construction firms reported difficulty filling open craft positions in 2025. The report also points to existing training capacity. It says Associated Builders and Contractors educates more than 10,000 trainees annually in Houston, while the Burns & McDonnell Construction Academy delivered 14,245 training experiences in its first year. These figures describe the programs cited; they do not establish how many workers are available for food manufacturing projects specifically.
The proposed approach combines established apprenticeships and hands-on instruction with shorter, accelerated training that can introduce people to the trades and teach foundational skills. The report recommends that owners, contractors and educators coordinate forecasts and programs; build career paths and mentorship; support safety and respectful jobsite supervision; use digital learning and virtual reality; and consider productivity tools such as modular construction, automation and digital planning.
How Labor Shortages Affect Plant Projects
Food and beverage facilities depend on skilled trades for expansions, production line additions and modernization. When multiple industries pursue the same workers, manufacturers may have fewer qualified people available when construction begins. The report identifies missed production launch dates and higher budgets as immediate risks, though it does not quantify delays or cost increases across the sector.
Workforce planning can affect how reliably a company delivers a capital project. Training and partnerships may help employers prepare workers before demand peaks, while retention and career development can help keep skills in the industry. The practical effect will depend on whether programs produce enough qualified workers in the right locations and at the right time.
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Owners Expand Their Role in Training
For decades, the report says, project owners commonly hired general contractors and expected regional labor markets to supply the trades needed to build facilities. It describes the current construction environment as more crowded, with data centers, large industrial projects and infrastructure work competing for skilled labor. Retirements outpacing the arrival of new workers add pressure, according to the report.
Large facility owners have resources that can support training, including capital, learning technology and access to broad construction platforms. The report presents owner-funded initiatives as an entry point for new workers and a way to address near-term needs. It also stresses that accelerated courses are meant to complement apprenticeships, mentorship and hands-on experience, which remain central to longer-term craft development.
““With retirees outpacing new workers, a survey from the Associated General Contractors of America found over 92% of construction firms reported having a hard time filling open craft positions in 2025.””
— Food Dive sponsored report
virtual reality construction training
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Project-Level Effects Still Unmeasured
The report does not specify how many food and beverage projects have been delayed, how much budgets have risen, or which regions and trades face the sharpest constraints. The construction-firm survey covers the wider industry, and the training totals cited do not show how many graduates enter food facility work or remain in the trades. It is also unclear whether the investments described will match demand as competing construction projects proceed.
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Workforce Planning Moves Upfront
The report urges manufacturers to forecast labor needs early and make workforce development part of capital planning, alongside site selection, permitting and infrastructure. It calls for owners, contractors and educators to coordinate training capacity and project schedules, then connect accelerated instruction to longer-term apprenticeships and career paths. Whether these steps ease shortages will depend on continued investment, worker retention and the availability of qualified tradespeople where projects are built.
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Key Questions
Why are food and beverage manufacturers competing for skilled tradespeople?
The report says data centers, megaprojects and infrastructure construction are drawing from the same regional pools of specialized workers needed for food facility expansions and upgrades.
How widespread is the reported hiring difficulty?
An Associated General Contractors of America survey cited in the report found that more than 92% of construction firms had difficulty filling open craft positions in 2025. That figure covers construction firms broadly, not food and beverage employers alone.
What workforce responses does the report recommend?
It recommends early workforce planning, partnerships among owners, contractors and educators, training investment, mentorship and career pathways, supportive safety practices, and technology that can help training or jobsite productivity.
Can accelerated training replace apprenticeships?
The report presents accelerated programs as an entry point that can build foundational skills and address immediate needs. It says long-term craft development still depends on apprenticeships, mentorship and hands-on training.
Source: rss
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