The Rise of Datacentres: Meeting the Demand for Skilled Workers
If someone had asked Billy Keeper five years ago what a datacentre was, he admits: “I would not have had a clue.” The 24-year-old joined specialist electrical firm Datalec Precision Installations as a labourer straight from school. Now, he’s an electrical supervisor overseeing teams carrying out installations at datacentres for big tech firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook.
Datacentre floorspace in Europe has almost doubled since 2015, driven by the increasing demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence. However, meeting this demand is challenging, as finding enough land, power, and skilled construction workers is a struggle for the industry.
Experienced electrical installers working on datacentres can make six-figure salaries, but companies like Datalec face a constant battle to ensure they have enough qualified staff. The Construction Industry Training Board predicts the UK needs to recruit 50,300 extra workers annually for the next five years.
To address the shortage of skilled workers, companies like Schneider Electric are increasing their intake of apprentices and focusing on diversity and inclusion in their recruitment efforts. The industry must rethink how it recruits younger people and offer career pathways that align with their mission and purpose.
As the industry works towards a more sustainable future and aims to be part of the solution for net zero, attracting and retaining skilled workers will be crucial. Explaining the importance of datacentres and the cloud in modern life will be key to attracting the next generation of talent.
