en.Wedoany.com Reported - Compass Datacenters has donated a $12.6 million building to Texas State Technical College (TSTC) to expand its MEI Data Center Pathway Program, which aims to address the growing labor shortage in the data center industry.
The donation was completed on June 30, with the transferred building located within Compass Datacenters' Red Oak campus. The facility will serve as a training center, providing instructional space for TSTC's MEI program, whose graduates are ready to work upon completion. The program targets a diverse range of students, including veterans, and its curriculum aligns closely with military experience, such as mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, disciplined operations, and familiarity with mission-critical systems. A veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury during his Navy service completed the program's inaugural training and was hired by Compass Datacenters as a multi-skilled operator.
The training center is equipped with operational electrical, cooling, motor control, and IT infrastructure equipment, rather than simulators. Program partners include industry companies such as Schneider Electric, Siemens, Vertiv, RK Industries, Brasfield and Gorrie, Catapult Solutions Group, Maverick Power, Rubicon Technical Services, and Salute. Among them, Siemens has hired 15 graduates from the program and plans to add another 200 employees over the next 18 months.
The donated building is open to all hiring partners, not serving exclusively as a talent pipeline for Compass Datacenters. TSTC is located adjacent to the operator's existing facilities, and its curriculum is designed to closely meet employer needs. According to an analysis by the Texas Tribune, the state has 335 operational data centers, with another 248 in the planning stages. Data from the Pew Research Center shows that as of February, the U.S. had over 3,000 operational data centers, with at least 1,500 under construction. Texas and Virginia lead the nation in both active sites and planned developments.
Data from industry research further underscores the demand for talent. JLL predicts that nearly 100 gigawatts of new data center capacity will be added between 2026 and 2030. Research from Uptime Institute indicates that 54% of operators face severe staffing shortages in critical positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2024 and 2034, electrician positions will grow by 9%, with thousands of annual job openings for HVAC technicians, industrial machinery mechanics, and related roles. The skills required for these positions directly overlap with the content taught in the MEI program.
The MEI Pathway Program spans 12 weeks with a total of 224 instructional hours, designed to help students transition efficiently from learning to employment. The program specifically supports veterans in gaining stable entry into the civilian workforce. Currently, TSTC is preparing to open the new facility to accommodate a large number of waitlisted applicants. As data centers expand into rural areas—with 67% of planned U.S. data centers located in rural areas, compared to only 13% of existing operational facilities—this trend is creating more career opportunities for technicians willing to relocate and expanding the reach of training programs like this one.
