Schneider Electric creates professional education platform to address data center talent shortage

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced a series of updates to its digital education platform, Schneider Electric University. Available in 14 languages and accessible globally for free online, the dedicated professional development platform directly addresses the data center sector skills gap, helping industry stakeholders to upskill and stay up to date with the latest technology, sustainability, and energy efficiency initiatives affecting the sector.

To-date, Schneider Electric University has delivered more than one million courses to over 650,000 data center users, with +180 countries represented by its global user-base. The new updates to the Schneider Electric University Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA) qualification include fundamentals of power, cooling, racks, and physical security, and guidance on how to optimize data center designs to drive resilience, energy efficiency and sustainability.

Its newest courses, for example, include Optimizing Cooling Layouts for the Data Center; Fundamental Cabling Strategies in the Data Center; Examining Fire Protection Methods in the Data Center; and Fundamentals of Cooling II – Humidity in the Data Center.

Furthermore, its curriculum addresses key focal points for the industry such as Data Center Site Selection and Planning, which offers guidance on how to select brown and greenfield sites for access to renewable energy; Alternative Power Generation Technologies, which helps drive the implementation of renewable energy strategies, on-site power generation and use of technologies such as microgrids; and Battery Technology for Data Centers, which evaluates the sustainability impact of different types of UPS batteries, the benefits of Lithium-Ion technology, and offers an analysis of the associated lifecycle

Research in the Uptime Institute Annual Data Center Survey 2021 estimates staff requirements will grow globally to nearly 2.3 million in 2025. Further, 32 percent of respondents reported difficulty in retaining staff, with 47 percent having difficulty finding qualified candidates for open jobs. Attracting and retaining talent within the industry, which is the heart of the digital economy, is now reaching a critical mass.

By encouraging individuals to upskill and continue their professional development for free, the Schneider Electric University is directly addressing the data center industry skills gap and talent shortage, helping businesses to attract, retrain both new and existing talent, and providing access to specialized technical education, everywhere.