How to solve the talent shortage in the data centers of the future?

In the last 20 years, Latin America has seen the possibilities of digitalization and adopted the technologies at an unprecedented rate. Between 2001 and 2019, the region went from having 6% of households with Internet access to 66%, according to data from the World Bank. A year later, as a result of the pandemic, the digitalization of Latin American households reached 79%, according to CAF.

This is the result of a digital effort that has been taking place for two decades. Following the adoption of the first Action Plan for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2005, the countries of the region have joined efforts to promote the availability of connectivity and digitization for their population, in order to reduce the digital gap.

According to ECLAC, "digital technologies are essential instruments to boost the productivity and growth of countries, and have significant effects in various critical areas for development such as health, education and government services."

Data centers are essential players in the development of Latin American digitalization and have a key role to play here. Keeping this environment fully operational demands a high level of responsibility and accuracy. These elements become even more important given the lack of qualified professionals certified in critical infrastructure management best practices.

In 2021, the Uptime Institute mentioned that by 2025, Latin America will need 21,000 additional data center professionals, especially in markets such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Most of the workforce will require a university/college or technical trade school degree or — critically — equivalent experience. More on-the-job training and sector-specific education will be key for the sector to meet future talent demand, warned the Uptime Institute.

Revolutionizing Data Center Maintenance

Given the lack of specialized professionals in the industry in Latin America, there is a general need for maintenance and support of data centers. As a player in the industry, Vertiv recognized this need and created Vertiv Care, a Customer Service Center that provides technological support to its customers and also supports the control and monitoring of the activities of technicians and Service Providers (contractors) in the service area.

Vertiv Care seeks to solve the dilemma of talent shortages in Latin America and help data centers boost their performance, in real time. Through this service, the client can attend to emergencies, coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance routines, quote services and monitor equipment warranties.

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