Vantage Data Centers and Partners Host Career Expo in Port Washington, Wisconsin, to Connect Local Talent with Lighthouse Opportunities

More than 200 job seekers attended a two-day career expo hosted by Vantage Data Centers and our partners at Port Washington High School on Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28. The event supported a local-first, union-first hiring approach for the Lighthouse campus, a 902MW development supporting the Stargate expansion for Oracle and OpenAI.

The expo underscored the approximately $15 billion investment in Port Washington and surrounding communities connected to Lighthouse. The development is expected to employ up to 4,000 people at peak construction over the next several years and support approximately 1,000 long-term positions once fully operational.

“Lighthouse is creating thousands of jobs now in addition to long-term career opportunities for the regional workforce,” said Vantage Data Centers Community Engagement Specialist Pam Lyons. “The career expo provided an opportunity for hundreds of job seekers to meet the people of Vantage Data Centers and our hiring partners.”

Hiring partners joined Vantage for the two-day event, including Oracle, Gurtz Electric Co., H.J. Martin and Son, Michels Corporation, Turner Construction Company, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., The Weitz Company and WRTP | BIG STEP.

“We met candidates transitioning from other companies, from the military and from other backgrounds,” said Gurtz Electric Site Superintendent Mike Bertolani about the career expo attendees. “This has also been a terrific opportunity to talk with people who are interested in apprenticeships as a foot in the door to the trades.”

Candidates seeking roles ranging from drywaller to electrician and from construction manager to HVAC engineers took advantage of the time to learn about career opportunities by talking with hiring representatives and by sharing their resumes.

Sherri Bunyan, who lives in Port Washington, came to the event on Saturday to network.

“Change is never easy,” said Bunyan about the introduction of Vantage Data Centers to the community. “I’m optimistic that we’re on the forefront of something important, and it’s an opportunity for our growth.”

Jenny Kissinger and Timothy Green, both of Belgium, attended the career expo to learn about the variety of jobs available.

“The data center project represents opportunity for local people,” said Kissinger, who has an electronics and telecommunications degree. “These careers provide chances to further your career, and so many of these employers are willing to help with training.”

“Lighthouse means local jobs that are very much needed,” said Green. “I’ve really appreciated this event as a way to talk with people from companies that are contributing directly to that opportunity.”

To explore career opportunities for the Lighthouse campus, please click here.