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Qts announces $5 million grant for cedar rapids data center workforce

The funding targets training gaps for the seven-phase project now employing 1,200 construction workers in the Big Cedar Industrial Center.

By Devin MarshPublished Jul 14, 2026, 6:20 PM CT1 min read
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QTS announced a $5 million workforce development grant on July 14, 2026, to support local organizations including the Iowa Workforce Development Foundation for its data center project in Cedar Rapids.

The Gazette reported the grant aims to build skilled labor for construction and operations at the seven-phase complex in the Big Cedar Industrial Center.

The site currently employs 1,200 construction workers. The project is expected to create 15 full-time jobs per phase, for a total of 105 permanent positions once all phases finish.

"When we come into a community, normally our project is larger than the current workforce," QTS co-CEO Tag Greason said. "If you need the workforce to help deliver and then operate the data center, it doesn't happen if you aren't willing to support the underlying resource of this skilled labor."

Cedar Rapids and Linn County job seekers in construction and tech trades stand to gain direct access to the training programs funded by the grant. The announcement follows a April 24, 2026, visit by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to the site.

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Sources

  1. 1.Data center developer announces $5 million workforce development grant - thegazette.com — Google News — Cedar Rapids & Linn County
  2. 2.Data center developer announces $5 million workforce development grant — The Gazette
  3. 3.QTS commits $5 million to skilled trades training in Eastern Iowa — Corridor Business Journal
  4. 4.Data center company grant to support local scholarships, apprenticeships — The Gazette — Local News
  5. 5.Data center company grant to support local scholarships, apprenticeships - thegazette.com — Google News — Cedar Rapids & Linn County
  6. 6.QTS Data Centers pledges $5 million for workforce development in Eastern Iowa — KCRG — News
  7. 7.qts awards 5 million grant to boost workforce development in eastern iowa — KGAN CBS2 — Local News (page scrape)

This story was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor before publication. Read our Editorial Standards & AI Disclosure. Spot an error? Request a correction.

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