Schneider Electric and the International Business Training College (IBTC), through its Data Centre Academy, have extended their data centre workforce development programme to Kenya amid rising demand for digital infrastructure across Africa.

The programme was formalised in Nairobi during ITW & Datacloud Africa, with support from the Africa Data Centres Association (ADCA) and other industry partners.

It will train engineering and technology graduates for careers in the data centre sector, with instruction covering power, cooling, energy management, security, controls and operational resilience.

Schneider Electric will provide the foundational curriculum through Schneider Electric University under its Data Centre Certified Associate (DCCA) programme.

Vice President, Secure Power, Sub-Saharan Africa at Schneider Electric, Steve Santini, said developing a sustainable talent pipeline was critical to supporting the growth of digital infrastructure across the continent.

The initiative will operate under IBTC’s “source, train, place” model, which combines structured education, industry certification and practical exposure to data centre operations. Participants will start with DCCA I training before moving on to advanced industry certification pathways.

IBTC Data Centre Academy will manage programme delivery and workforce development, while ADCA will provide industry leadership and governance support to ensure the training remains aligned with sector requirements.

Industry partners, including IMEX and IX Africa, will contribute to the practical elements of the programme by giving participants exposure to technologies and operating environments used in data centres.

IBTC Chief Executive Officer Nikki Maritz said collaboration between training organisations, technology providers and industry bodies would be essential to developing a sustainable talent pipeline.

The Kenya expansion follows IBTC’s existing programmes in South Africa, Nigeria and Qatar, making Kenya its latest African market.

The expansion comes as data centre operators across Africa increase capacity to meet demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence workloads and other digital applications. The growth is also increasing the need for skilled engineers and technicians capable of supporting critical data centre systems.

Source: msmeafricaonline