Rethinking the skills conundrum: In Focus - Datacentres
We’ve been exploring the skills conundrum across the UK, bringing you the latest sector insights direct from our teams on-site with their clients – featuring commentary from our experts in sustainability, social value, supply chain, talent acquisition and sector specialisms on how we can collectively address rising skills shortages through a demand-led skills revolution.
Why is datacentre construction important?
Iain Farquharson, specialist services design manager at ISG, shares his thoughts on our Wide Angle report ‘Rethinking the skills conundrum’ and how we can unlock built environment data to join forces and help equip the UK with the skills required to match future industry demand.
I recently attended an industry event and got talking with some representatives from several global technology brands. We were discussing skills shortages and the war for talent, and my fellow attendees were bemoaning the lack of appropriate coders and programmers entering the technology industry. When I casually mentioned that they might also be concerned about the dearth of steel-erectors, structural engineers and sustainability consultants, I inadvertently succeeded in stopping the conversation dead.
On one level, it’s completely understandable why cutting-edge technology innovators would consider construction skills ‘out of scope’ in a discussion around their recruitment challenges, but it’s a growing issue that is cutting through in Silicon Valley and beyond, as senior leaders sit up and take serious note.
"The technology sector - founded on the principles of innovation and disruption, may in fact begin to be constrained by the very nature of global demand for its product. But the positive news is that technology companies are already wising up to this challenge, committing to innovative practices and approaches within their physical datacentre assets - engaging contractors early in the development process and taking bold decisions on utilising advanced and highly efficient products and services, that significantly reduce energy demand."
Iain Farquharson, specialist services design manager, ISG
Construction skills – my technology conversation killer
Iain Farquharson, specialist services design manager, ISG, provides insight into his thoughts on reading ISG's latest Wide Angle report 'Rethinking the skills conundrum'.
Unrivalled datacentre delivery
In a digital world, rapid growth in technology and data consumption are creating exciting opportunities for datacentre connectivity and performance. Collaboration and innovation are vital ingredients in ensuring world-leading facilities are delivered with speed, cost and quality in mind – and local communities at their heart.
All of our projects are driven by evolving technology and construction methods. With over 25 years at the forefront of datacentre design and construction for global tech-led brands, and as a leading mission-critical solutions provider, we use a trusted seven step formula – covering design, verification and system testing – to deliver dynamic, highly engineered spaces. Working with clients from pre-construction to construction, full operational delivery, decommissioning and into post-occupancy, our approach is built on trust and a deep knowledge of smart, efficient environments.
Stepping onto the world’s stage, Kajal, Ollie, Poppy and Rosie shared their idea on rethinking datacentres to reduce carbon footprint and redirect excess heat
Kajal Parekh, Ollie Kent, Poppy Cunningham and Rosie Maxwell, UN Summit, New York, US
Construction: the great overlooked tool in our strategic workforce planning
Our latest Wide Angle, ‘Rethinking the skills conundrum’, seeks to connect the dots between people, place and productivity.
Matching aspirations to pathways to overcome the skills shortage
ISG’s Talent Development Director, Sarah McKinlay, commented “ISG’s ‘Rethinking the Skills Conundrum’ report highlights the importance young people, and their parents, put on finding a career that suits their interests, has an impact on society, and provides them the opportunity to use their skills whilst being fairly paid for their contribution.“ISG’s aim is to be an outstanding employer, empowering our people to be the best they can be, and our early careers programmes support this ambition, and the aspirations of the young people surveyed in our research. It’s essential that young people have the opportunity to gain experience and continually learn new skills. Our participation in Open Doors and our early careers programmes provide both this insight, and a focus on gaining inspiring first-hand experience”.
If this has sparked your interest in working for an organisation where you can make a difference to what we build and how we build it, with ESG firmly in focus, then...
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Through Wide Angle, we work with some of the brightest minds across the construction landscape and beyond, bringing together leaders, experts and specialists to explore the topics, insights and research that really matter, now and in the future.
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