F E A T U R E

the shortage and find ways to navigate it moving forward.

Our esteemed panellists who took part in the Data Centre Exchange discussion were: Deborah Andrews, Professor of Design for Sustainability & Circularity, London South Bank University; Dr Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer, University of East London; Matthew Underhill, Head of Infrastructure, Alfred H Knight; Ben Cranham, Chief Operating Officer, Pulsant; and Sham sai Geddada, engineering student at the University of East London.

Panellists provided their expert knowledge on the data centre skills gap as well as offering best practice advice on how to tackle it. They addressed: the key causes; how we can better educate young people about the roles available; the impact of AI and automation; and long-term strategies to ensure a steady flow of skilled professionals.

Cause and effect

On September 12, 2024, the UK Government classified data centres as Critical National Infrastructure. Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, revealed the government now considers the buildings which store much of the data generated in the UK, to be on an equal footing with water, energy and emergency services systems.

The announcement caused a major shift in how data centres are viewed amongst the general public – providing credibility and drawing much-needed attention to the industry; something it’ s in desperate need of.

A major issue within the data centre space is the lack of awareness around opportunities and career potential. The panellists emphasised the urgent need to showcase clear career paths and discover ways to better portray the wide-ranging opportunities available within the industry, as well as highlight how rewarding they can be. They agreed the issue could be down to a lack of understanding around what a data centre is and how we use them.

Matthew Underhill, Head of Infrastructure at Alfred H Knight, suggested reaching younger audiences via platforms such as TikTok and Twitch, rather than just LinkedIn, to attract future talent and appeal to the younger demographic.

While Ben Cranham, Chief Operating Officer at Pulsant, noted more effort is needed to ensure students and young people understand what a career in data centres looks like in order to build a stronger talent pipeline in the UK.

He referenced how data centres’ increased appearance in mainstream news – particularly in the context of AI – was helping to improve public perception. He also highlighted the rigorous privacy restrictions across the industry and how these limit overall knowledge and awareness of data centres and how they operate. This, in turn, impacts the ability to source relevant candidates. Stringent security protocols may therefore mean the industry is its own worst enemy, as it prevents knowledge and understanding of the facilities powering our everyday lives.

The solution

A core component of the roundtable discussion centred on the industry working as a collective to find some resolve. We addressed how far the government has a role to play in helping close the gap, as well as the need for a long-term strategy to ensure we’ re utilising the resources available for meeting growth requirements.

Panellists agreed that addressing the gap must begin at the education level. Data centre organisations should be prioritising school visits, talks and panel discussions, for example, to generate awareness around the wide-ranging career types within the data centre realm.

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