Worker Shortage Hampers Europe's Booming Datacentre Industry
As Europe’s datacentre floorspace has nearly doubled since 2015, the industry's growth is being threatened by a critical shortage of skilled workers. With companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook expanding their cloud services, the demand for datacentre space has skyrocketed, driven in part by the rise of artificial intelligence. However, the construction industry is struggling to keep up with this boom, particularly when it comes to recruiting the specialized labour needed to build and maintain these highly engineered facilities.
Surge in Demand
In 2015, Europe had approximately 6 million square feet of datacentre floorspace. By 2024, that number has grown to over 10 million square feet, with cities like London seeing almost triple the demand for datacentre space compared to 2019. This growth is propelled by businesses and tech giants that increasingly rely on datacentres to power their cloud services, ecommerce, and AI-driven technologies.
However, delivering on this demand is a challenge. Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group, points out that finding enough land, power, and skilled workers to construct and maintain datacentres has become a major hurdle.
Labour Shortage
One of the most pressing issues is the shortage of qualified construction workers. Matt Perrier-Flint, Operations Director at Datalec Precision Installations, which specializes in electrical and cabling installations at datacentres, explains that building datacentres requires precision and speed that go beyond typical construction projects.
“It’s very, very fast. It’s very, very highly engineered,” Perrier-Flint notes. Datacentre projects involve strict timelines, multiple testing phases, and a careful balance between maintenance and business continuity, particularly during key seasons such as the Christmas ecommerce rush.
Despite the high demand, there are simply not enough skilled workers to go around. The UK alone needs to recruit 50,300 workers annually for the next five years to meet its construction demands, according to the Construction Industry Training Board. The issue is compounded by an aging workforce, with many seasoned workers approaching retirement.
The Apprenticeship Gap
One reason for the shortage is the diminished focus on traditional technical and apprenticeship routes in recent decades, with more young people being encouraged to pursue university degrees. As Schneider Electric’s Mark Yeeles points out, "The time to start investing in apprentices was 10 years ago."
Companies are now starting to adjust, with Schneider Electric doubling its apprentice intake to bridge the gap. However, many in the industry fear that this shift is coming too late to meet current demands.
The datacentre industry is at a crossroads. While demand continues to soar, the shortage of skilled workers threatens to slow the sector’s growth. To keep pace, industry leaders like Datalec and Pure Data Centres Group are calling for more investment in apprenticeships and technical training programs. Without a steady pipeline of qualified workers, Europe’s datacentre boom could face significant delays, impacting everything from cloud services to AI advancements.