A sustainable and diverse workforce is essential for the data centre sector, Marc Garner

Guest post by Marc Garner, VP, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland 

The data centre skills shortage has been documented by industry publications and research firms for almost a decade. In fact, a report published by Gartner in 2016 found 80% of firms expected to find their growth held back due to a lack of new data centre skills, with the McKinsey Global Institute predicting a global shortage of 1.5 million qualified data centre managers as early as 2015. 

Data centres have become the beating heart of the global digital economy, and while the industry’s growth has fast accelerated, the question remains, have we done enough to encourage new professionals into the sector? The short answer, some may argue, is no. 

Research detailed within the Uptime Institute Annual Data Center Survey 2021 estimates that staff requirements will grow to nearly 2.3 million in 2025. Further, 32% of respondents reported having difficulty retaining staff, with 20% being hired by competitors. However, what is more concerning is that 47% of data centre businesses seem to be having difficulty just finding qualified candidates for open jobs. So, while global demands for digital transformation and mission-critical infrastructure proliferates, the skills gap affecting the sector grows ever wider. 

The skills shortage in Ireland , Marc Garner

In Ireland, the tech skills shortage remains a key issue. As early as 2019, a report entitled The Digital Skills Crisis – Time to Act, found that in the coming years to 2021, more than 12,000 jobs would go unfilled in Ireland’s ICT sector. Research by the skills agency Solas, also found that 46% of science, engineering and tech companies are struggling to fill key IT roles, such as software developers and IT engineers.

This is expected to have a significant impact on the economy as a whole. Research from analyst Amarach concludes the country’s GDP could grow by an extra 0.5% every year between 2022 and 2025 through an ambitious investment in digital skills, meaning that Ireland’s GDP in 2025 would be €9.5 billion higher (€544.2 billion) than currently forecast.

More recently, a survey by Expleo found that 77% of Irish firms think talent shortages are a top barrier to digital transformation, while almost two thirds (63%) believe that software development and IT operations (DevOps) talent is in critically short supply at present. Further,  more than two-thirds of businesses and IT leaders (67%) are concerned about the impact that IT skill shortages will have on the success of the digital economy. Attracting and retaining talent within the tech sector is now reaching a critical mass, so what can the industry do to fix it?

Lack of diversity

One of the first areas the industry must address is around diversity and inclusion (D&I), especially in a sector dominated by male professionals. The same report from Uptime found that from a diversity perspective, intent continued to outstrip action, with just 5% of operators reporting that ‘about half’ of their data centre staff were women. 

Moreover, since Uptime began tracking the sector’s diversity in 2018, the industry’s gender demographics have not changed materially, and more than three-quarters of those surveyed report that their workforce is made up of around 10% women, or less. These figures present a stark look for our industry, especially one that is fuelled by investments, growth, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A. 

Among the industry there is a strong belief that we must drive the development of a broader talent pool, and engage, empower, and encourage more female candidates to join and futureproof the sector. This, however, is one area where Schneider Electric is leading by example, and through our commitments to sustainability and diversity, we are creating an inclusive environment for the next generation of female professionals  – ensuring that women represent 50% of all new hires, 40% of all frontline managers, and 30% of senior leadership roles in our organisation by 2025. 

Through this vision we believe we can acquire different skills and perspectives, attract new talent, and provide a diverse range of candidates to help drive sustainable change within the data centre and energy management industries. 

Become greater advocates for STEM 

Another key means to address the shortage is to encourage young professionals to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Here driving awareness among the next generation from a young age is critical, primarily so that they understand the importance of the sector and consider it as a valuable career path. 

STEM, however, is not just limited to maths and engineering, and key examples of business roles that can draw on its skills include product development and marketing; solutions design and architects; strategic planning and project management; mechanical and electrical engineering (M&E); and business development and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, promoting STEM education from an early age has been found to create a diverse pool of talent across all levels, which is likely to help attract more professionals into the industry and foster the growth of its future leaders. 

Graduate programmes and close collaboration with universities also provides the opportunity to empower the next generation of tech professionals to pursue purpose-driven careers in the sector. Today data centres and the tech industry underpin some of the world’s most important businesses, from global social media platforms and financial services to life science and pharmaceutical research organisations. Each one of these businesses has established a strong, digital foundation within the data centre space and is dependent on mission-critical infrastructure, presenting a rewarding career for any new industry advocate. 

Reassess key skills

Today there are also many individuals who possess transferable skills that can be utilised in the industry. I believe we must reassess the criterion for entering the sector and consider candidates who have built core competencies which can translate into quick learning. By widening the recruitment net through cross-skilling and looking outside of the sector, we can identify candidates who have comparable expertise and bridge the skills gap.

Staff retention is reported by Uptime to be another key challenge, and one that should be a key focus for our industry.  With more skilled professionals leaving our sector to join other industries, there has never been a more important time for us to focus on mentorship and to create opportunities for development, which will be vital to retain staff within the sector. It is therefore essential that we recognise and foster the value and potential of our people.

Educate from within

Access to ongoing professional education, including CPD-accredited programmes and diverse training paths is pivotal. As such, Schneider Electric has created a professional education platform, named the ‘Schneider Electric University’, offering free access to vendor-agnostic education to help train and upskill the next generation of data centre professionals. 

Today the platform has evolved to offer over 200 data centre, energy efficiency, and sustainability courses, and has delivered over 1,000,000 courses to more than 650,000 users globally. Furthermore, by being specifically designed as a vendor-neutral, CPD-accredited education platform, it is recognised by numerous industry associations including Engineers Ireland, the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), and BICSI. 

As we look forward there are many things that the industry can do to futureproof the sector. Attracting, retraining, and retaining talent is essential, but only by building a diverse, inclusive, and resilient workforce can we empower the industry to drive change, and build the sustainable data centres of the future. 

Author bio

Marc Garner is the Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power Division in the UK and Ireland. In his role, Marc is responsible for leading a team of expert power professionals to support customers in data centres, server rooms, edge computing and mission-critical environments.

Marc has enjoyed a successful career at Schneider Electric in sales, marketing and leadership roles; achieving double digit year-on-year growth in his first position as a regional sales engineer and maintaining that level of performance to build a strong track record as National Sales Manager for the company’s Cable Management business and as National Sales Director for the Low Voltage business.  

Marc is passionate about sustainability, people development and a customer-first approach to service. As the leader of the UK and Ireland’s Secure Power Division, he strongly believes in empowering and developing diverse teams to offer a breadth of skills, support and expertise to customers and partners. 

Connect with Marc on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

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