TSTC says 21 of 22 graduates found data-center-related jobs
Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Red Oak is successfully running a data center pathway program, with 21 of 22 graduates from its first two cohorts finding jobs in the industry. The program is supported by industry partners like Compass Datacenters and Schneider Electric, addressing the growing demand for skilled labor in North Texas. This initiative helps connect workers to good-paying jobs, though some communities express concerns over data centers' land and electricity demands.
The Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Red Oak is seeing initial success with its Mechanical Electrical and Information Technology Data Center Pathway Program (MEI), designed to equip individuals for roles in the burgeoning North Texas data center industry. Two cohorts of the 12-week program have produced 22 graduates, with 21 securing jobs at companies such as Black Box, Siemens, CBRE, Schneider Electric, and Salute. These positions offer starting wages ranging from $22 to $40 per hour, indicating a viable career path for those without prior technical backgrounds, as exemplified by a former janitor at Compass Datacenters now earning $35 an hour as a data center operator.
The MEI program was initiated in summer 2024 through a partnership with Compass Datacenters, which helped develop the curriculum, funded initial scholarships, and later donated a $12.6 million former training facility to expand the program's capacity. Schneider Electric also contributed funding for scholarships, equipment, and sits on the program's advisory board. Government entities, including the Texas Workforce Commission and Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, project significant job growth in the broader computing infrastructure sector, though specific data center job estimates are not provided.
While the program offers a direct pipeline to skilled jobs, it operates within a regional context where communities have voiced concerns regarding data centers' demands for land and electricity. Program leaders like Marcus Balch, TSTC's North Texas campus provost, acknowledge current enrollment limitations due to space and equipment. Future success hinges on sustained employment, wage growth for graduates, and continued local hiring by employers, a point emphasized by Laura Ward of Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas and Amanda Bergson-Shilcock of the National Skills Coalition.