Is The Search For Talent In The Data Centre Sector A Peril Or A Prospect?
.jpg)
Continuing unprecedented growth in the data centre sector may be at risk due to increasing concerns around scarce resource and rising labour costs.
Amongst the 300 senior data centre professionals that took part in a survey across Europe, just over two-thirds of respondents believe that the next year will see an increase in demand, according to Business Critical Solutions.
It was also revealed that over 90% of developers and investor respondents expect to see a further expansion in their data centre portfolio over the coming year.
However, concerns are being raised by Design Engineering and Construction (DEC) respondents around general shortages amongst design, construction and operational professionals with four-fifths expressing resourcing concerns.
The survey also found that DEC respondents identified build professionals as being subject to the most serious shortages – 82% stated this view compared with 78% for design professionals and 77% for operational functionality of data centres.
Chris Roberts, Head of data centre and cloud at Goonhilly told Data Economy: “While the scarcity of talent is an issue, it is not insurmountable.
“It simply requires firms to think more carefully and creatively about resourcing and their overall project and business requirements.
“Take data scientists, for example. Right now, they are highly sought after for AI and ML and can command large salaries – however many big data projects, in reality, require more input from less expensive, more abundant data engineers.
“So it might make sense to hire a data engineer and use an external data science consultant or offshore/nearshore managed service resource to fulfil the remaining 15% of the work.
“The beauty of this approach is that it also requires firms to plan rigorously upfront and be explicit in terms of the skills required for a particular project, how to manage workloads, and the specific outcomes required.”
According to the report, when asked to rank the impact of this our respondents highlighted the increased workload placed on their existing staff (96%), rising operating/labour costs (92%) and over 80% indicating that this has led to an increase in the use of outsourcing options over the past 12 months.
“Data centre careers are too often seen as the ‘poor man’s cloud’. As mainframe skills are widely perceived as ‘yesterday’s skills’, data centre skills are often tarnished with the same brush,” said Simon Ratcliffe, Principal Consultant of Ensono and Chair of CIF’s Digital Skills Special Interest Group.
“This perception could precipitate a talent crisis in the data centre industry in the same way that we are already seeing a crisis in the mainframe industry.
“With large scale moves to cloud, many corporate data centres are either closing or reducing. Nevertheless, there will be continued demand for these skills for many years to come, and here lies the opportunity.
“There are very few directly related higher education courses and even less focus lower down in the education system.
“Smart organisations are using apprenticeships and other internal development programmes to maintain a pipeline of skills, but these are the exception rather than the norm.
“Organisations of all sizes, along with government and the education sector, need to bring this core STEM skill back into the mainstream and realise that they are very much ‘tomorrow’s skills’.
“The way these skills are taught needs to be updated and brought into the modern world; too often these ‘legacy skills’ are taught in a legacy way and that adversely affects the uptake.
“Where organisations have developed new and fresh ways of teaching these skills, they have seen great success. As an industry and a country we need to examine not only what we teach but how we teach it. This will attract the talented individuals that we need to meet ongoing demand.”
The increased workload for existing staff had, in turn, led to problems in resourcing existing work, with just over 70% stating that they had experienced difficulties in meeting deadlines or client objectives, according to Business Critical Solutions.
“At BCS we are currently doing the round of careers fairs looking for candidates for next year’s graduate and apprenticeship scheme,” said James Hart, CEO of Business Critical Solutions.
“When we are talking to these young people we often find that they either haven’t even considered our sector and/or they have misconceived ideas about what this career path involves.
“We can address this by going into universities, colleges and schools telling STEM graduates about the data centre industry and how great it is.
“Without action, this these issues will become more acute, so the rallying cry for 2020 is that the sector is an exciting place to be and we have to get out there and spread the word.”
source dataeconomy
Industry: Data Centre / Data Center

Latest Jobs
-
- Service Architect- DACH regions
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Service Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the Service/ solutioning effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company area a global managed services business working with enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead Service/ solution design from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. You’ll Need: Experience working as a Service architect, Service Manager or Customer Success Manager R Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical grasp: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Deal Architect- DACH region
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Deal Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the solutioning/ Service effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company is a global managed services business providing solutions to enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead the deal from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. Be responsible for the service Wrap and ensuring the Service meets clients requirements You’ll Need: A back ground with IT Services Experience in a similar type of role, for example: Deal, Service, or Solution Architect in ICT outsourcing. Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical knowledge: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Pre Sales Lead- IT Services
- Germany
- Upto €100,000 plus benefits
-
As the Pre-Sales Lead (Sales Engineer/ Solution Architect) you will drive large-scale ICT managed services and outsourcing deals (from €0.5M to €20M+). You'll work directly with Business Development and clients to design high-impact solutions across Cloud (Azure, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), EUC, Unified Comms, Security (SIEM, PAM), Networks, and Smart Workplaces. What You’ll Do: Lead the end-to-end pre-sales cycle — from RFI/RFP to contract. Design innovative, client-specific solutions with technical & commercial impact. Present at CxO level and steer proposal strategies & financial models. Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Service Desk, Field, and Digital Workplace teams. Support deal shaping with strong knowledge of ITIL, SIAM, Automation, and cost analysis. What You’ll Bring: Have strong experience in pre-sales or solution architecture. Experience with €M+ managed service deals. Deep technical expertise in modern ICT stack and enterprise IT services. Strong German (C1) and English communication skills. Certifications: ITIL v3/v4 required; SIAM, ISO20000 desirable.
-
- Account Manager - IT Services
- Germany
- €90000 plus OTE and Car
-
Are you a deal closer with a hunter mindset? Do you know how to uncover business pain points, and turn them into long-term digital transformation partnerships? Our Client are growing their sales force across Germany and looking for an ambitious, straight-talking Account Manager to take the lead on new client acquisition. You’ll focus on mid-sized to large enterprises across Germany helping to shape their digital future with tailored IT solutions in Workplace, Cloud, and Security. • Drive Growth: Own the full sales cycle for new business across your region. • Solution Sell: Build bespoke offers in Security, Digital Workplace and Cloud solutions • Build Relationships: Establish a solid pipeline through smart prospecting, marketing-driven leads, and your own network. • Represent a brand known for trust, delivery, and tech excellence—with 4,000 employees globally and a growing team within Germany. What You Bring • Proven new logo sales experience in the IT services space (not hardware!) • Deep knowledge in one or more of: Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace, or Cloud • Confidence to lead enterprise deals and pitch directly to senior stakeholders • Fluent German and good English skills Sind Sie ein Abschlussprofi mit Hunter-Mentalität? Wissen Sie, wie man geschäftliche Pain Points identifiziert und in langfristige Partnerschaften zur digitalen Transformation verwandelt? Unser Kunde baut derzeit sein Vertriebsteam in ganz Deutschland aus und sucht eine ambitionierte, ehrliche Persönlichkeit als Account Manager, die den Lead bei der Neukundengewinnung übernimmt. Ihr Fokus liegt auf mittelständischen bis großen Unternehmen in Deutschland, denen Sie mit maßgeschneiderten IT-Lösungen in den Bereichen Workplace, Cloud und Security den Weg in die digitale Zukunft ebnen. Ihre Aufgaben • Wachstum vorantreiben: Verantwortung für den gesamten Vertriebszyklus im Neugeschäft Ihrer Region. • Lösungsorientierter Vertrieb: Entwicklung individueller Angebote in den Bereichen Security, Digital Workplace und Cloud-Lösungen. • Beziehungen aufbauen: Aufbau einer stabilen Pipeline durch gezielte Ansprache, marketinggenerierte Leads und Ihr eigenes Netzwerk. • Marke repräsentieren: Werden Sie Teil eines Unternehmens mit 4.000 Mitarbeitenden weltweit und einem stark wachsenden Team in Deutschland – bekannt für Vertrauen, Verlässlichkeit und technologische Exzellenz. Was Sie mitbringen • Nachgewiesene Erfahrung in der Neukundenakquise im Bereich IT-Services (kein Hardwarevertrieb!) • Fundiertes Wissen in mindestens einem der Bereiche: Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace oder Cloud • Selbstbewusstes Auftreten im Umgang mit Enterprise-Deals und Entscheidungsträgern auf Top-Level • Verhandlungssichere Deutschkenntnisse und gute Englischkenntnisse