EXPERT OPINION
Investing in young diverse talent
Growing up in the age of Big Tech , companies are having to work much harder to distinguish themselves in the industry and stand out in the labour market to attract top talent from the millennial and Gen Z generations .
For example , graduates well-versed in STEM subjects are in higher demand than ever before . To be able to win this top talent over , the data centre industry needs to shift their focus to grabbing the attention of today ’ s students and help them understand the important transferable skills that STEM can lend to landing and developing a successful career in the data centre industry .
Looking at the industry from an inclusivity standpoint , the lack of gender diversity is causing long-term harm to the sector . To welcome and retain the next generation of skilled professionals , it ’ s critical that the industry does more to inspire young talent , especially race and gender diversity , to take up STEM subjects from an early age .
The industry has a vital role to play from engaging students and raising awareness of all the exciting career paths in STEM , to creating mentorship programmes that support women in a male-dominated industry .
Diversity , equity and inclusion is a business imperative which helps build and empower future workforces , while also addressing societal challenges . Proactive leadership is imperative in creating an environment where listening and understanding different perspectives promotes a culture of increased awareness .
The data centre industry will always be challenged with keeping pace with digitalisation , but the one constant to ground all of this inevitable change should be ensuring that your workforce is skilled for the problems of today and for tomorrow . ◊
THE DATA CENTRE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO SHIFT THEIR FOCUS TO GRABBING THE ATTENTION OF TODAY ’ S STUDENTS .
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