National Data Centre Day returns for its second year on 12 September 2026 in the UK, bringing the industry together to raise awareness of the infrastructure behind the digital services people use every day.
This year’s #BackToSchool theme aims to help children and young people understand how data centres support digital services and discover the careers available across the sector.
Young people routinely use artificial intelligence, stream content and store files in the cloud, but may not know that these services depend on data centres. Every artificial intelligence prompt, video stream and online interaction relies on this physical infrastructure.
Helping young people understand the sector can introduce them to careers in engineering, design and specialist data centre disciplines, supporting the industry’s future need for a skilled workforce.
What our team has to say
Alan Troke, Associate Director, said: “I’ve always found it interesting that most young people know exactly how to use AI and digital services, but few know that it relies on a network of data centres working behind the scenes. In my time working in the data centre sector, I’ve seen first-hand how critical these facilities have become to modern life and how much opportunity exists within the industry. National Data Centre Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the sector and inspire the next generation to look beyond the apps and devices they use every day. At Cundall, we’re proud to help our clients design and deliver sustainable, resilient and future-ready data centres that support everything from cloud services to AI. Hopefully, by shining a light on the industry, we can encourage more young people to explore the engineering, technology, and innovation that underpins our digital world.”
For Barbara Smitten, Associate Director, raising awareness also means giving young people clearer routes into the industry:
“Data centres have a visibility problem with young people. Students use the services our industry enables every day. Still, many will leave school without knowing that careers in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, design management or sustainability exist in the sector. If we want the next generation to consider the sector, we need to reach them before they have made their choices. That means going into schools, creating meaningful pathways into the profession, and giving young people exposure to the people who do these jobs. At Cundall, we engage with prospective apprentices to help them explore career opportunities across the sector. Earlier exposure can help more young people make informed choices about routes into data centre engineering and design.”
National Data Centre Day provides an opportunity for the industry to make those careers more visible and help young people connect the technology they use every day with the people and infrastructure that make it possible.
