BUILDNOW™ addresses the nation’s skilled labor gap by training and deploying execution-ready talent to support AI, data center and energy infrastructure growth.
AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, March 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As the United States faces a projected shortage of more than 500,000 skilled workers needed to build and support the rapidly expanding digital infrastructure economy, Overwatch Mission Critical (OMC) today announced the launch of BuildNow™, a national workforce initiative aimed at closing the industry’s most urgent gap: execution-ready talent.
Artificial intelligence, hyperscale data centers and energy systems are scaling at unprecedented speed, but workforce readiness is failing to keep pace, creating a growing bottleneck for national growth and competitiveness.
“The 5th Industrial Revolution isn’t limited by chips or capital, it’s limited by labor,” said Kirk Offel, founder and CEO of Overwatch Mission Critical. “Every part of the data center supply chain has defined lead times except workforce.
BuildNow™ changes that. We are building the first reliable, scalable labor pipeline for this industry.”
BuildNow™ is launching a suite of accelerated workforce programs that produce job ready electrical, project management, and operational talent for commercial construction and data center infrastructure. BuildNow™ ‘s first course is a Data Center Project Manager program that builds execution focused capability in design review, procurement, scheduling, financial controls and commissioning. The Data Center Delivery program prepares technicians with advanced safety, code and commissioning skills. This intensive, hands on training path moves students from basic job site safety to troubleshooting, electrical systems and mission critical readiness.
BuildNow™ will also offer courses in mechanical and IT operations and is developing a range of continuing upskill courses to invest in their students. For more information, visit BuildNow.
Together, these programs form the backbone of BuildNow™’s mission to build the very first universal service academy for the data center industry; a structured learning program where veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, career switchers, Gen Y and Z, and trades bound students are shaped into execution ready talent for the fast growing data center and AI infrastructure sectors. This workforce ecosystem gives companies a reliable, disciplined stream of trained professionals who move through a standardized pipeline built on readiness, leadership and mission critical performance.
At its core, BuildNow™ is built on a simple belief: America’s veterans represent one of the most underutilized workforce advantages in the country.
“We believe that America’s transitioning servicemembers and veterans can serve this industry with the same honor, discipline and integrity they brought to uniform,” Offel said. “BuildNow™ is our commitment to give them that opportunity while solving a critical national need.”
“As a veteran, I understand the need for purpose after service,” said Dave Kurtz, president of BuildNow™. “The transition from military service often results in feelings of loss of community and purpose. The headlines about veteran suicide trouble so many of us, and those feelings of loss contribute to the suicide crisis. As we work to provide purpose, middle class jobs, and career opportunities, our aim is to give veterans and those seeking alternatives to traditional college paths the chance to make a difference. These careers provide that purpose while strengthening the infrastructure that underpins our economy and national security.”
Leveraging Dave’s 30-year Navy career as an aviator, tactics instructor, and running an aircraft carrier, BuildNow™ will also invest in professionalism and leadership training, ensuring graduates are making a real impact on day one on a job site. “We owe our students the tools to help them stand out and succeed. We know the veterans have the discipline and work ethic that will make them valuable. We’ll teach them the language of the industry, the keys to civilian employment, and sharpen the skills they gained in service,” Kurtz said.
Beyond workforce development, BuildNow™ represents a broader shift in how the industry defines itself.
“For too long, the people building the future haven’t been the ones telling the story,” Offel said. “Data centers are not the problem; they are the foundation of modern life. If we don’t lead that narrative, someone else will, and they’ll get it wrong.”
With BuildNow™, Overwatch is calling on leaders across AI, energy, infrastructure and policy to align around a shared mission: to build the workforce required to power America’s future.
About Overwatch Mission Critical
Overwatch Mission Critical is building the next generation of disciplined, leadership-ready professionals for America’s mission-critical infrastructure. BuildNow™ is Overwatch’s national workforce and leadership initiative designed to expand and strengthen the talent pipeline for data centers, AI infrastructure and digital-age energy systems. Learn more at www.WeAreOverwatch.com.
Tamara Colbert
La Dolce Media
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