Data centre STEM ambassadors to enter UK classrooms

National Data Centre Day has launched the Data Centre STEM Ambassadors Programme with STEM Learning and AVK, bringing data centre professionals into UK classrooms.

The programme will channel volunteers through STEM Learning's existing STEM Ambassadors network, which already connects more than 30,000 people with schools across the country. It gives the data centre sector a formal route into education as it seeks to raise awareness of careers linked to digital infrastructure.

National Data Centre Day will encourage professionals from across the industry to register as STEM Ambassadors. A dedicated data centre cohort will work with teachers on subjects including computing, geography and design technology.

Volunteers are expected to take part in career talks, classroom sessions and mentoring. The focus will be on pupils aged eight to 16, helping them connect the digital services they use each day with the physical infrastructure and workforce behind them.

The move comes as the data centre industry continues to grapple with skills shortages and the challenge of attracting new entrants. Operators, developers and suppliers have increasingly argued that schools need a better understanding of the sector if the industry is to widen its future talent pool.

STEM Learning's STEM Ambassadors Programme is funded by UKRI and is free to join. The scheme has run since 2002 and supports young people aged five to 19 by connecting them with people working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles.

Skills focus

The partnership also reflects a broader effort by National Data Centre Day to move beyond awareness campaigns and towards direct engagement with schools. By using an established national framework, the organisers aim to lower the barrier for industry professionals who want to volunteer but may not know how to approach schools.

AVK helped bring together National Data Centre Day and STEM Learning. Its involvement is centred on education, sustainability and responsible business work linked to the sector's long-term workforce needs.

Data centres have moved higher up the policy and business agenda as demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence and digital public services has risen. That has increased scrutiny of the sector's energy use, land requirements and local impact, while also sharpening debate over the need for engineers, technicians and support staff.

Eloise Shenton outlined the reasoning behind the new programme.

"This year, National Data Centre Day is challenging the industry to think about how it inspires the generation that will play a vital part in its future. We believe one of the most powerful ways we can do that is by getting out from behind our screens and into classrooms, giving young people the chance to meet the people behind the digital world they use every day. Our partnership with STEM Learning turns that ambition into something tangible, giving the industry a real opportunity to make a difference," said Eloise Shenton, Co-Founder, National Data Centre Day, and Social Media Manager, Spa Communications.

STEM Learning described the partnership as a way to expose pupils to roles that may not appear in standard careers guidance, despite digital infrastructure's central role in everyday life.

"The STEM Ambassadors programme, funded by UKRI, is the largest STEM engagement volunteer programme in the UK, supporting young people aged 5 to 19. Meeting role models who showcase the professionals, technology and skills behind data centres is invaluable for young people and their future career opportunities. These interactions improve pupils' and students' understanding, while helping them see a career in data centres and associated technology as a viable, exciting and achievable option. STEM Ambassadors also help teachers bring STEM careers to life, including those in the tech sector, and facilitate an invaluable link between schools and industry. Together we can inspire the next generation to see themselves as part of the technology that will shape our future," said Severine Trouillet, Chief Executive, STEM Learning.

Industry link

For AVK, the programme is part of a wider argument that workforce shortages cannot be addressed through hiring alone. Stronger links between employers, schools and communities are needed if the sector is to build a steadier flow of recruits.

"As an industry, data centres talk a lot about the future skills it needs, but it also needs to create meaningful connections with the young people who will shape that future. Through my work in sustainability and responsible business, I've seen first-hand that tackling skills shortages requires industries to look beyond recruitment and build stronger connections with schools and communities. At AVK we saw an opportunity to bring National Data Centre Day and STEM Learning together to bridge that gap, and we're proud to help bring businesses, educators and communities together to inspire young people and build the skills we need for the future," said Sarah King.

Rory Flashman-Wells said the education push should be seen as part of a longer-term effort to create clearer pathways into data centre and AI infrastructure work.

"Educating and engaging the next generation of digital and engineering professionals is fundamental to the future of the data centre industry, and I truly believe that bringing the role of technology into the classroom is one of the most important ways to address that. By partnering with STEM Learning, we're helping data centre and AI infrastructure businesses meet the challenge head on, creating pathways for future jobs and doing more for the communities they operate in," said Rory Flashman-Wells.