When we first approached data centre operators about training a cohort of engineering graduates, the answer, more than once, was no.
Rack Centre said yes.
The Lagos-based data centre operator became IBTC Data Centre Academy’s first operator partner, sponsoring 15 graduates through a structured training programme. Together, we set out to create a pathway that would give graduates relevant industry knowledge and give Rack Centre a pool of trained candidates to consider for future opportunities.
The results so far show what can happen when an employer takes an active role in developing its future workforce.
Connecting engineering talent with opportunity
For graduates in electrical, mechanical, electronic engineering, telecommunications and IT, data centres offer a potential career direction. But many leave university without knowing where their qualifications could fit into the industry.
Employers face the other side of that challenge: finding candidates with the technical foundations and specific knowledge their facilities need.
As IBTC CEO Nikki Maritz explains:
“The constraint isn't engineering talent – that exists. The constraint is that talented graduates don't know data centre operations is a career, and operators don't always have a ready mechanism to find and develop them.”
Through the Rack Centre Academy, we began building that mechanism together.
Fifteen graduates. A clear pathway.
Rack Centre selected 15 engineering graduates from 2,000 applicants and sponsored their training through IBTC’s two-stage Data Centre Academy pathway.
The programme begins with DCCA I, built on Schneider Electric University’s curriculum. Students then progress to DCCA II, working towards EPI/EXIN’s globally recognised CDCA® certification.
The strongest performers will be considered for an internship with Rack Centre, giving students a clear opportunity to work towards as they study. This is a demanding programme. It requires substantial self-study alongside online evening classes, with students expected to take responsibility for their progress.
The cohort responded with sustained attendance and commitment. Fourteen of the 15 sponsored students completed DCCA I, with the majority passing on their first attempt.
That engagement has been one of the most encouraging outcomes of the partnership. The students understood where the training could lead, and their commitment reflected it.
Giving employers a role in developing talent
The Rack Centre partnership offers a practical example for employers thinking about their own skills needs.
By sponsoring a selected group of graduates, an operator can help develop relevant knowledge while getting to know potential candidates over the course of their training. Students, in turn, gain a clearer understanding of the industry and a structured route into further development.
As Nikki puts it:
“The Rack Centre partnership demonstrates exactly what becomes possible when an operator takes ownership of its talent pipeline.”
It is an approach built on shared commitment: an employer willing to invest, a training partner providing the pathway, and graduates prepared to do the work.
Building on the first yes
Following their DCCA I results, the cohort’s next milestone is the final DCCA II certification exam. For Rack Centre CEO Lars Johannisson, the partnership already demonstrates the value of working together:
“This cohort is proof of what’s possible when an operator and a training partner commit to solving the talent gap together, not separately.”
We are now engaging operators across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and the Middle East about extending the model.
Rack Centre was the first to say yes. Its investment in these 15 graduates offers other employers a concrete example of how to start developing the people their facilities will need.
Looking to develop your data centre workforce?
Speak to us about training your existing team or building a pathway for new talent.
