Training as a lure for new data center industry personnel

Data centers are the foundation of our digital economy and are essential for the functioning of companies. With the increasing digitalization of our society, the demand for data centers is growing, which inevitably leads to an increasing demand for qualified personnel. After all, without people who understand how the components of a data center work together, data centers have no right to exist. In this article, we will delve deeper into the essential role that education plays in attracting and retaining employees for the data center industry.

Over the past decade, electronics companies have become increasingly dependent on data centers for the optimal functioning of their services. The technological and legal requirements for the security and quality of data storage, processing and delivery are increasing accordingly. To meet these requirements, more technically skilled personnel are needed. This poses an enormous challenge for data center owners.

Cutthroat competition
Bastiaan Janssen, CEO of the Complementary Group and owner of Vijfhart IT Training, can talk about this: “Well-trained and motivated staff is hard to find. The shortage of data center engineers will increase in the future because the sector is aging. Within the next ten years, many data center employees will retire, while the number of young people entering the sector is lagging behind. Employees struggle at the front door to find motivated staff who have the specific expertise needed to work in data centers. At the back door, many data centers struggle with high staff turnover due to the cutthroat competition within the sector itself.”

Janssen, together with his colleague Marcel Figee, business development manager at the training institute, Data Center College, An plenary lecture during the IT Infra event, on November 16, 2023 in Den Bosch. Figee shares the opinion that education plays an essential role in finding and retaining suitable data center personnel.

“If you invest in staff through training, it actually works three ways,” Figee explains. “Customers gain confidence in your company because they see that the staff is well-trained and receives regular training. Employees feel seen and appreciated and therefore stay with the same company longer. And a company where people enjoy working has a magnet effect on job seekers. Well-trained people bring others with them. If you invest in training, you are investing in all your staff: your current and potential employees.”  

Boring
One of the causes of the global shortage of personnel is the declining inflow of technical vocational education. Figee: “I work together with ROCs and we also offer a data center training from the DCC. Students rarely choose an internship in a data center themselves, because they do not know the sector and have the idea that working in a data center is boring. They have no idea how versatile and varied it is. That is why I visit data centers with the students. Once they enter a physical data center, they see with their own eyes how fascinating the data center world is and what opportunities there are for young graduates.”

It is possible
Janssen agrees: “The data center industry suffers from the phenomenon of ‘unknown makes unloved’. The buildings in which data centers are located do not stand out. As an employer, you should do just that, for example by recruiting creatively.” The training specialist ASML mentions as an example. “That company hires around two hundred new employees per week. They do this very cleverly: they contact people with a technical background, such as car mechanics, electricians and airport employees, and they offer them a job with very attractive employment conditions and a high salary. They then invest in training to retrain the new employees. The data center sector could also consider this. Especially if people already have a technical background, it is a piece of cake to prepare them for the data center profession in a short time. Because let's be clear: the working environment in a data center is much more pleasant than that in a car workshop.”

Further training
Training programs are important not only for newcomers, but also for existing employees, says Figee. “The rapid technological changes in the sector require employees to continuously educate themselves to stay up to date with the latest developments.” Janssen adds: “The data center industry is all about the three P’s: product, process & people. These elements are interrelated. Well-trained people who work according to the right processes make fewer mistakes. Fewer mistakes means fewer disruptions and that improves the quality of service. Then the circle is complete. Every investment in training and education pays off handsomely in the long run.”

Are you curious about the story of Marcel Figee and Bastiaan Janssen? Then come to Den Bosch on November 16 to meet the two specialists live to be heard speaking during the IT Infra event. Register for the lecture and event for free via the website.