Transforming Data Center Construction Through Modular Innovation ~ Hands-On Heroes EP16 w/ Amy Marks

Transforming Data Center Construction Through Modular Innovation ~ Hands-On Heroes EP16 w/ Amy MarksJoin the mission to inspire the next generation of builders and skilled tradespeople! Visit https://handsonheroes.net/ to learn more about Hands-On Heroes and how you can help shape the future of the trades.What does the future of construction look like when modular building, workforce development, and sustainability come together?On this episode of Hands-On Heroes, Val Crafton, the Voice of Grit, sits down with Amy Marks, the Queen of Prefab, to discuss how prefabrication and modular construction are transforming the data center industry.Amy shares how Compass is investing in workforce development through training programs near its data center campuses, creating career opportunities in data center operations and helping address the skilled labor shortage. They also explore how offsite manufacturing can improve construction safety, reduce waste, create more predictable working conditions, and help workers build sustainable careers.The conversation also tackles community concerns surrounding data centers, including water usage, power infrastructure, transparency, and responsible development. Amy explains why listening to communities, building long-term partnerships, and holding developers to higher standards are essential to the industry's future.Plus, Amy makes the case for recruiting athletes, especially women athletes, into the trades and data center industry to develop the next generation of leaders.In this episode, we discuss:Modular construction and the future of data centersWorkforce development and closing the skilled labor gapWomen in construction and leadershipHow prefabrication improves jobsite safetySustainability, construction waste, and total cost of ownershipData center water usage, power, and community concernsTransparency and responsible developmentRecruiting athletes into the trades and data center careersHands-On Heroes assembles the most powerful voices across construction, mission critical infrastructure, power, and design – from general contractors and civil engineers to hyperscale developers, edge and modular data center operators, semiconductor facility builders, AI factory pioneers, MEP specialists, architects, and infrastructure leaders. Hands-On Heroes is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to empowering children through early exposure to careers in the skilled trades. Our mission is to break stereotypes, promote representation, and introduce kids to the powerful and creative careers that keep our world moving from electricians and heavy equipment operators to carpenters, welders, and beyond. Through Val’s 21+ years of industry experience, her Hands-On Heroes nonprofit, and her storytelling platforms, Val bridges the gap between boardrooms and jobsites, showing that the future of infrastructure isn’t just powered by data, it’s built by people.This is where construction meets technology. Where blueprints become reality. Where every megawatt delivered, every rack energized, every facility commissioned, and every community engaged represents the heroic work of the Hands-On Heroes building our tomorrow.Do you want to be a part of the mission? Visit https://handsonheroes.net/ to learn moreThank you Mod42 for being our Title Sponsor!