Compass Datacenters and Meridian Community College (MCC) are launching the Mechanical, Electrical and Information Technology (MEI) Data Center Pathway Program, creating a data centre talent pipeline for residents across Mississippi.
The workforce development initiative is open to any company that needs skilled technicians. Compass customers, suppliers, service providers and competitors alike are welcome to participate and to recruit graduates.
The data centre skills shortage is especially tough in Mississippi, where competition from other large industrial projects makes local workforce development even more urgent. The programme curriculum helps fill that gap by giving residents hands-on training for essential data centre jobs – with no degree or prior experience required. Compass is funding full-tuition scholarships for the inaugural cohort, removing a key barrier for anyone ready to start a career in the field.
“We’re building the future in Mississippi and this programme is tailor-made to ensure Meridian has the workforce to meet that future,” said Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters. “When we build in a community, we commit to it for the long haul. We aren’t just building data centres in Meridian; we’re helping create a workforce that will support them for decades to come.”
The 14-week programme gives students hands-on experience working with the same equipment being used in data centres today. Graduates are well prepared to step into roles across electrical, mechanical and IT infrastructure operations.
Now in its second year, the waitlisted training programme has already placed graduates with companies including CBRE, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Salute, with many stepping into roles paying 30-50% above local median salaries.
