As AI spreads and competition to expand data centres intensifies, the industry in Britain, Ireland and the Nordics is expected to see large-scale retirements of skilled workers in the next 5 to 10 years, raising concerns about operational disruption. Securing staff to build and manage facilities is emerging as a new challenge, alongside power and hardware needed for expansion.

TechRadar reported on Oct. 29 that a survey by Onnec of 300 senior decision-makers in the data centre industry projected that about 6,340 directly employed workers in Britain, Ireland and the Nordics will retire between 2031 and 2036. That would amount to 18 to 28 percent of the data centre workforce in those regions.

By region, the Nordics had the highest share of retirements at 28 percent. Ireland was 24.43 percent and Britain 18.74 percent. To fill the gaps, Britain would need to refill 4,554 roles, while Ireland and the Nordics would need to replace 813 and 974 positions, respectively.

The problem is that the industry is heading into large-scale retirements at a time when labour demand is rising quickly. Demand for building and operating data centres is growing with the spread of generative AI, but the supply of skilled workers that support it may instead shrink. If the gap becomes reality, it could burden not only new builds but also stable operation of existing facilities.

Matt Salter (맷 솔터), global head of data centres at Onnec, stressed that data centres are not facilities that run on electricity alone but an industry that relies on people’s skills and experience. He said industry attention is focused on GPUs and power capacity, but staff are needed to build and operate facilities, and operators are already struggling to secure the workers they need. He also pointed to the risk that nearly a quarter of the workforce could retire within the next 10 years.

In particular, the departure of skilled engineers could create problems beyond a simple reduction in headcount. Data centres require precise management of equipment, cabling and power systems, and rapid on-site response is critical when failures occur. If workers with years of field experience and troubleshooting know-how leave, it will be difficult to replace them in a short time.

Salter said engineers who have long been familiar with data centre environments are key staff who work behind each rack and respond to late-night emergencies. He warned that if the pace of departures outstrips the pace of training replacements, the industry could face a shortage of workers to build planned facilities quickly and safely.

In response, the industry is calling for systems that not only hire new workers but also transfer skilled techniques and field experience to the next generation. Salter stressed that because workers cannot be trained quickly, investment must start now in apprenticeship-style training, mentoring and clear career development paths. That means creating a structure in which experienced engineers can train successors directly and pass on know-how before leaving the field.

In the end, the data centre industry faces the need to solve two tasks at once: expanding facilities to meet AI demand and ensuring workforce succession. Even with power and GPUs secured, investment and expansion plans could be disrupted if there are not enough people to install them and operate facilities stably. Data centre competitiveness is expected to depend not only on the scale of infrastructure but also on how many skilled workers companies can secure and develop.