To address the talent shortage in the data center industry, Schneider Electric has announced a series of updates to its vendor-agnostic and CPD-accredited digital education platform, Schneider Electric University.
The dedicated professional development platform, which is free to access worldwide and is available in 14 languages, would directly address the skills gap in the data center industry by assisting industry participants in upgrading their skills and keeping up with energy efficiency, sustainability, and new technology developments.
More than 650,000 users of data centers have taken more than one million courses from Schneider Electric University, which has a global user base with over 180 countries represented.
Fundamentals of power, cooling, racks, and physical security, as well as recommendations on how to optimize data center designs to promote resilience, energy efficiency, and sustainability, are all part of the recent updates to the Schneider Electric University Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA) qualification.
Addressing Key Topics for Data Centers
Its most recent courses for example include Fundamental Cabling Strategies in the Data Center, Examining Fire Protection Methods in the Data Center, Optimizing Cooling Layouts for the Data Center, and Fundamentals of Cooling II – Humidity in the Data Center.
Additionally, its curriculum covers key topics for the data center sector, including Battery Technology for Data Centers, which assesses the sustainability of battery technology, Data Center Site Selection and Planning, which provides advice on how to choose brown and greenfield sites for access to renewable energy, and Alternative Power Generation Technologies, which promotes the implementation of renewable energy strategies, on-site power generation, and use of technologies like microgrids.
Skills Gap and Talent Shortage
According to the Uptime Institute Annual Data Center Survey 2021, the number of workers will increase to around 2.3 million by 2025. In addition, 32 percent of respondents said it was hard to keep employees, and 47 percent said it was hard to locate qualified people to fill unfilled positions. The data center industry, which is at the center of the digital economy, would now be at a critical mass in terms of attracting and keeping talent.
The Schneider Electric University is directly addressing the skills gap and talent shortage in the data center industry by encouraging people to upskill and continue their professional development for free, assisting businesses in attracting and retraining both new and existing talent, and supplying access to specialized technical education globally.
“In the last few years data center capacity demands have grown exponentially, reaching record new highs as digitization and cloud adoption accelerates. The sector skills shortage, however, remains a significant challenge and has potential implications for other connected industries,” said Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President Secure Power Division at Schneider Electric. “By providing guidance on the latest technology and sustainability initiatives, we believe the Schneider Electric University offers an invaluable resource to help bridge the skills gap by empowering business ecosystems, reskilling the workforce, and training the next generation of professionals to build the data centers of the future.”
Schneider Electric University
Members of the Data Center Science Center at APC, Schneider Electric’s premier brand for battery backup power, surge protection, and IT physical infrastructure for data centers and edge computing environments, established the ‘Data Center University’ as a free tool to assist in educating and upskilling the upcoming generation of business professionals before being acquired by Schneider Electric in 2006. Their goal was to produce a training program that would be CPD-accredited, assist the professional growth of industry stakeholders, and equip them to construct the data centers of the future.
The platform, now known as ‘Schneider Electric University’ has expanded to provide more than 200 courses in data centers, energy management, and sustainability through two separate colleges, the Professional Energy Manager (PEM), and the DCCA certification. Offering free access to energy education worldwide, all courses are provided as self-paced, hour-long modules in 14 different languages.
Vendor Neutrality
Additionally, 25 various industry CPD organizations, including BICSI, the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), Engineers Ireland, and the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) have recognized this university.
With all of its courses maintaining 100 percent vendor neutrality, Schneider Electric University has remained entirely unbiased as one of the first industry-specific professional development platforms for data centers and energy management. It currently provides a vital lifeline for business professionals looking to expand their skill sets, having provided over 1,000,000 courses to more than 650,000 people internationally.
Management Summary
Addressing key topics for data centers
-
New courses include Fundamental Cabling Strategies in the Data Center, Examining Fire Protection Methods in the data center, Optimizing Cooling Layouts for the Data center, and Fundamentals of Cooling II
-
Humidity in the datacenter
Skills Gap and Talent Shortage
-
According to the Uptime Institute Annual Data Center Survey 2021, the number of workers will increase to around 2.3 million by 2025
-
Schneider Electric University addresses the skills gap and talent shortage in the data center industry by encouraging people to upskill and continue their professional development for free
Vendor Neutrality
-
Schneider Electric University has remained entirely unbiased as one of the first industry-specific professional development platforms for data centers and energy management
-
It currently provides a vital lifeline for business professionals looking to expand their skill sets, having provided over 1,000,000 courses to more than 650,000 people internationally
