Jobs and skills

Beyond the Servers: How Data Centres are Shaping the Future Workforce

Data centres are often seen as silent powerhouses of the digital economy. But behind every campus is a human story – with thousands of jobs, skills and careers needed to bring these facilities to life.

At Pure DC, we view our projects not just as infrastructure, but as opportunities to deliver lasting value to people and places. We believe in data centres for good, which includes creating local employment opportunities while building a diverse, skilled and future-ready workforce.

From the ground up

The employment impact begins the moment construction starts. Our projects require a broad spectrum of skills from civil engineers, electricians and HVAC technicians to architects, surveyors and project managers. Beyond the core build, complex facilities demand advanced electrical systems, precision cooling and robust security, all of which create opportunities for specialist contractors. 

At Pure DC, we ensure that local firms benefit from these contracts, with investment flowing directly into surrounding communities. For example, during the construction phase of our Brent Cross extension, we’ve already created over 1,500 jobs and generated 3,380 job-years of employment, including apprenticeships for local people. By the time construction is complete, the project is expected to have supported £108 million in total wages across the local economy.

In Dublin, the impact has been just as significant. Construction of our site has created over 3,000 job-years of employment, with four out of five contracts awarded to Irish companies. Today, the campus sustains more than 150 ongoing jobs – a figure set to rise above 500 once the data centre is fully operational, reinforcing its long-term contribution to Ireland’s economy.

High-value careers in Operations

Once operational, our sites continue to generate high-quality jobs across a wide range of roles, including electrical and mechanical engineering, operations, facilities management and security. These are long-term, highly skilled careers with average salaries well above national medians. 

At Park Royal, the campus is projected to generate £27.5 million in total annual wages across the local economy once operational, while Brent Cross is expected to generate a further £4.1 million – a lasting investment in people and skills.

At Park Royal, the campus is projected to generate £27.5 million in total annual wages across the local economy once operational, while Brent Cross is expected to generate a further £4.1 million – a lasting investment in people and skills.

Many of these roles draw on transferable skills from adjacent sectors like utilities and construction – areas where there are already strong talent bases. At Pure DC, we’re committed to recruiting locally wherever possible, while creating accessible pathways for apprentices, graduates, professionals retraining from other industries, and veterans.

We’re also focused on building teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, actively looking for ways to encourage a broad range of candidates to apply for our roles.

Alongside this, we work closely with schools, universities and industry groups to promote careers in engineering, sustainability and technology. In Brent, for example, we’ve hosted school visits and jobs fairs to highlight opportunities in STEM and the data centre sector to young people. From apprenticeships in electrical engineering to graduate roles in sustainability and project management, the opportunities are both immediate and long-term.

A ripple effect across communities

The impact reaches far beyond the immediate supply chain. Every core role inside a data centre creates additional jobs, from catering and cleaning to logistics and landscaping. Beyond our sites, the contracts housed in our data halls also create employment within our customers, spanning a wide range of skills in engineering, software, hardware and general IT.

Moreover, each person working on site contributes to the health of the local economy, whether it’s buying lunch from nearby cafés, filling up at local petrol stations or shopping on the way home. These everyday transactions help businesses thrive, multiplying the impact of every role. 

According to Oxford Economics, the Brent Cross extension alone is expected to contribute £470 million to the UK economy over its lifetime, while Park Royal is projected to add £37-57 million each year once operational – highlighting how our sites create sustained opportunities.

Perhaps the most lasting contribution, however, is the role data centres play in shaping future skills. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, so too does the need for a pipeline of diverse talent. Pure DC is actively working with education providers to ensure that young people see roles within the industry as exciting, attainable and long-term careers.

With digital capacity becoming ever more critical to economic growth, data centres will remain a major driver of employment – developing the next generation of skilled professionals, fuelling careers and supporting communities for decades to come. 

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