2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Data centers are large, centralized clusters of computing hardware. Enterprise and economic activities that rely on internet services (e.g., cloud-based computing, online commerce, video and audio streaming) require significant data center infrastructure to ensure continuity of services. To provide these services, data centers require significant capital investment, ongoing operational maintenance, and the engineering workforce capacity to support these. Nationally, increasing reliance on distributed computing and off-site data storage has caused a boom in data center construction in multiple key markets nationwide. Additionally, shifts towards telecommuting and spikes in internet demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic have spurred increased demand for fast and reliable access to remote computing infrastructure (Miller, 2020). Northern Virginia has the largest and fastest growing market for data center capacity in the US (JLARC, 2019). Data center capacity is forecasted to double in Virginia during the next 10 years, with most of that growth concentrated in regions of Loudoun County and Manassas (Miller, 2018). The jobs created as a result of these investments offer high salaries for entry level technicians, especially compared with other regional opportunities to 2-year degree holders (Patil, 2019; Schneider & Vivari, 2012).

Despite this rapid growth, data center pathways remain underdeveloped in Northern Virginia. Student and teacher awareness of data centers is low, with the sector operating almost invisibly to the education system (Magnolia Consulting, 2022). This project attempts to improve regional awareness of data center careers through an industry externship targeted to high school counselors from Virginia districts with highly concentrated data center industries. During their externships, educators attended structured tours of Micron Technology and Stack Infrastructure, participated in networking sessions at NOVA campuses, and developed an action plan to bring awareness of data center careers to their institutions. Using pre- and post-surveys, focus groups, and content analysis of action plans, this paper investigates the extent to which participation in externship activities improves educator awareness and knowledge of the data center industry, knowledge of regional career pathways, and intentions to change professional practice. The results are generalized to provide recommendations for practitioners seeking to increase awareness of emerging technological fields within the K-12 education system.