Key facts
- Dycom Industries CEO Dan Peyovich highlights a skilled trades shortage driven by AI infrastructure demand.
- The construction industry faces over 550,000 unfilled positions this year.
- By 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled in the U.S.
- Dycom Industries acquired a data center electrical contractor for $1.95 billion in 2025.
- New hires at Dycom Industries receive two weeks of vacation on their first day.
- Dycom is building a 49-acre training campus in Georgia.
Dan Peyovich, CEO of Dycom Industries, highlighted the significant shortage in skilled trades, exacerbated by the booming demand for AI infrastructure like data centers and fiber networks. He noted that an aging workforce and a societal push towards four-year degrees have contributed to this structural labor gap, with the construction industry facing over 550,000 unfilled positions this year and potentially 2.1 million skilled trades jobs going unfilled by 2030, leading to an estimated $1 trillion in annual economic losses.
Dycom Industries, which employs 20,000 skilled workers and recently acquired a data center electrical contractor for $1.95 billion, is actively seeking to fill these roles. Peyovich acknowledges the challenge of attracting Gen Z, often accustomed to indoor activities, and is implementing strategies such as offering two weeks of vacation on day one and investing in a new 49-acre immersive training campus in Georgia. Other major companies like BlackRock and Lowe's are also investing heavily in skilled trades training, committing substantial funds to reach tens of thousands of workers.
While skilled trades are often seen as insulated from AI, experts like Ollie O'Donoghue from Cognizant suggest that AI will increasingly impact the surrounding processes, such as diagnostics and scheduling, even if hands-on labor remains essential. Peyovich believes AI can enhance safety and efficiency in these roles, expressing a hope that skilled trades will gain recognition as an equally attractive career path to a college degree.