From Cables to the C-Suite: Building the Talent Pipeline for the Data Centre Industry
At Data Centre World London this year, one theme was clear: the data centre industry is showing no signs of slowing down.
As demand for digital infrastructure continues to accelerate, driven by AI, cloud adoption and global connectivity, attention is increasingly turning to a critical question: who will deliver the data centres of the future?
Against this backdrop, Onnec’s UK Managing Director Claire Keelan joined Joyce Wady, Head of Communications at Digital Infrastructure Ireland, for a conversation exploring how the industry can build the talent pipeline it needs.
Taking place on 4 March, just ahead of International Women’s Day, the session ‘From Cables to the C-Suite’ looked at how the sector can attract new talent and broaden participation across the workforce.
Together, Claire and Joyce explored the challenge through three key lenses: visibility, proximity and adaptability.
1. Visibility: Making the industry visible to the next generation
Despite being the backbone of the digital economy, the data centre industry still lacks visibility among many people entering the workforce.
Joyce highlighted a striking insight from her work interviewing women across the sector.
“I can tell you right now, 99.9% of us have stumbled into the industry. Very few people I’ve talked to made a deliberate choice to come into it.”
This lack of awareness presents a real challenge as demand for talent grows.
Claire pointed to the scale of the opportunity — and the gap.
“When we look at the makeup of any population, 50% is female, yet only around 8% of the female population work in the data centre sector.”
If the industry continues relying primarily on people already working within it, growth will inevitably face constraints. The solution, Claire argued, requires stronger collaboration between industry, education, and government.
“The countries that are most prepared are working in tight collaboration with government, enterprise and technical colleges. That pipeline of skills is absolutely fundamental.”
But awareness also starts earlier. Research cited during the session showed that even digitally native generations don’t always connect the devices they use every day with the infrastructure behind them.
Joyce explained: “One of the surprising findings from a recent study was that 18- to 24-year-olds were the least likely group to connect what they do on their phone with the data centre infrastructure required to run it.”
Closing that awareness gap is essential to building the next generation of digital infrastructure professionals.
2. Proximity: The power of everyday conversations
If visibility is about awareness, proximity is about connection.
Claire shared a personal example of how exposure at a young age influenced her own career direction.
“I remember being nine years old and hearing about someone studying civil engineering. I knew nothing about it, but hearing that conversation sparked my interest and steered me in that direction.”
Small moments like this can have a lasting impact. Often, careers are shaped not by formal recruitment campaigns, but by conversations with people already in the industry.
Joyce reinforced this point with a simple story.
“I had a conversation with my neighbour who was considering a career change. I sent her a few episodes of the Critical Careers podcast — and now she’s working in the industry.”
For both speakers, this highlights the role everyone plays in promoting the sector.
“Everyone here has sisters, brothers, neighbours, people in their communities,” Claire adds. “How are we communicating what we do and encouraging others to explore the pathway into this sector?”
The industry is also far broader than many realise. Joyce noted that digital infrastructure requires a wide range of skills beyond engineering.
“We need marketing specialists, sales professionals, human resources, legal, real estate — there are so many different roles that make this industry work.”
For people considering a career shift, the data centre ecosystem offers diverse entry points and strong opportunities for growth.
3. Adaptability: Rethinking how the industry works
The final lens explored during the session was adaptability: how organisations structure work to attract and retain talent, which Claire believes this is an area where the sector still has work to do.
“We keep thinking about the traditional ways of working — five days a week, fixed hours — but we’re not changing the model enough.”
Greater flexibility could unlock an underutilised talent pool, particularly highly qualified professionals who step away from the workforce at certain life stages.
“There are extraordinary people with incredible qualifications who have stepped out of the workforce for family or life reasons. How do we create models that bring them back?”
Joyce echoed this point, encouraging organisations to think more creatively about workplace solutions. She shared an example from a conversation about childcare solutions near operational sites.
“It was an out-of-the-box idea — a crèche at a data centre — and the room went silent. But it shows that we need to think differently about common problems.”
Flexibility benefits more than just one demographic. Creating environments that allow careers to ebb and flow across different life stages can strengthen organisations overall.
“If we build workplaces that allow people to step forward at times and step back at others, that ultimately benefits everyone,” Joyce added.
Everyone has a role to play
As the session concluded, Claire and Joyce returned to a shared message: building the future workforce of digital infrastructure is a collective responsibility.
“Everyone sitting here has a role to play in how we promote the industry,” Claire said.
With many experienced professionals expected to retire over the next decade, attracting new talent is not just an opportunity — it’s essential.
Joyce summed it up simply:
“We’re all here today because we found something in this industry. The more we spread the word and encourage others to join, the stronger the future of the sector will be.”
