Building the Skills AI Demands: Why Data Centre Expertise Matters
AI growth shows no signs of slowing. In Europe, over €100 billion in investment has reshaped the data infrastructure landscape, expected to support over 80,000 jobs by 2030. Capacity rose by 21%, with further construction set to increase growth by 43% year-on-year.
Governments recognise the strategic importance of these facilities: the UK has granted Critical National Infrastructure status, Ireland anticipates €4.5 billion investment by 2025, Germany calls data centres “the lifeline of the digitalised world,” France considers them of national interest, and Norway promotes expansion through sustainable resource strategies.
Despite this growth, operators risk overlooking the essential skills that keep data centres running. Nearly two-thirds of operators struggle to retain staff or find qualified candidates. Without the right mix of expertise, operators risk building AI infrastructure faster than they can staff it.
To build a workforce ready for AI-driven infrastructure, operators must focus on five critical areas:
1. Keep essential skills alive
Skills such as cabling and racking are critical to AI-ready infrastructure but are often dismissed as “legacy.” Treating them as skilled trades requiring precision and craftsmanship positions these roles as valued careers – helping attract talent and maintain reliable infrastructure.
2. Skilled people for future-proofing infrastructure
Experienced engineers are indispensable as AI adoption strains data centres. They adapt systems safely, plan for upgrades, and prevent costly retrofits, ensuring continuity and building scalable, resilient infrastructure. Investing in both infrastructure and people avoids expensive rip-and-replace cycles and prepares the workforce for AI’s rapid evolution.
3. Reframing infrastructure as a career of innovation
Critical roles such as cabling, racking, and on-site deployments are often undervalued and prone to staff poaching. Highlighting their critical contribution to AI progress builds pride, attracts talent, and establishes these careers as respected, long-term paths.
4. Training for the AI era
As AI reshapes data centres, higher densities and complex interconnects increase operational risk, demanding both new infrastructure and a skilled workforce. Continuous training, including apprenticeship-style mentoring, ensures practical knowledge and discipline evolve alongside technology. Combining hands-on craft with digital literacy prepares engineers to manage tomorrow’s AI-driven infrastructure safely and efficiently.
5. Protecting the talent pipeline
With the industry impacted by a skills shortage, internal development is essential. Apprenticeships, academies, vendor partnerships, and diversity initiatives broaden the pipeline, creating clear career paths, improving retention, and preparing a workforce to support AI growth.
Building an AI-Ready Workforce
These five areas lay the foundation for a workforce capable of supporting increasingly complex AI infrastructure. But operators cannot achieve this alone; it requires collaboration across the industry.
Trusted global partners like Onnec provide training, on-site delivery, and long-term services, helping operators ensure expertise evolves alongside technology. Together, they deliver a skilled global workforce, holistic design knowledge, continuity through rolling refreshes, and risk mitigation through coordinated planning.
To learn more about developing a resilient, future-ready workforce and closing the digital infrastructure skills gap, download our free viewpoint document today.
About Onnec
Onnec is a leading Infrastructure Solutions and Services company for tech and enterprise, specialising in structured cabling, managed services, and network solutions. Our team of experienced designers, project managers, and engineers, supported by world-class vendor partnerships, delivers top-tier services and solutions.
Onnec’s expertise spans all data centre environments and can support customers with:
- Structured cabling design and installation
- Installation of cabling, ODFs, PDUs and containment solutions
- Network hardware installations, changes and support
- Connectivity and equipment upgrades and changes
- Smart Hands support services
