After nine weeks at our Farnborough site, three T Level students from Farnborough College of Technology (Trish, Jack and Joe) have come away with a much clearer understanding of what it takes to keep a live colocation data centre running. At the start, each had different expectations of what the experience might involve and by the end all three had gained practical insight into the scale of the task.
T Level students reflect on their placements with Datum
Posted on in News
Expectation versus reality
Getting to grips with a live environment
One of the biggest early lessons was that data centre work is far broader than simply installing hardware. While there were plenty of opportunities to work with physical infrastructure, the students quickly saw that much of the day-to-day activity involves careful planning, cross-connects, onboarding and decommissioning.
Joe had expected a highly secure working environment so was pleasantly surprised by how much (closely supervised) responsibility the students were gradually able to take on. He also noted that even tasks that sounded simple on paper, such as checking hardware lights in a secure rack, involved “multiple layers of security”.
For Jack, the placement helped him understand the building as a complete system. He had seen parts of the site before, but the hands-on experience gave him a much clearer view of how everything fits together. “I finally see how power, cooling, security, and connectivity interconnect to keep the facility alive,” he said.
Learning by doing
The students spent much of their time with the operations team, shadowing engineers and supporting practical tasks. This proved to be one of the most valuable parts of the placement, giving them the chance to see how data centre processes work in real time.
Trisha said that being around the operations team helped her build a clearer understanding of how data centres operate, especially because “seeing a visual representation of the process was very helpful”.
The students also developed a range of technical skills, including structured cabling, Cat6 termination, labelling, cross-connect installation and testing, rack provisioning, tap-off audits and decommissioning work. Alongside those practical skills, they gained experience in documentation, asset management and ticketing.
Joe found that the placement helped him build not only his technical knowledge, but also his confidence in communicating and checking his work carefully. In a data centre environment, accuracy is not optional. As he put it, double-checking became “second nature”.
More than meets the eye
The placement also highlighted just how much engineering sits behind the reliability of a data centre. From standby generator load testing to hot and cold aisle containment, the students saw that uptime depends on many different systems working together. “The amount of redundancy that is involved is incredibly impressive,” said one student.
For Joe, the complexity became clear once he saw how many steps are needed before even a seemingly straightforward task can begin. Processes that might appear simple from the outside are designed to protect customers, maintain service availability and keep information accurate.
That attention to detail extended beyond the technical work. The students also saw how important accurate tracking and administration are, particularly during decommissioning projects and audits. Logging assets correctly, updating records and maintaining clear documentation all proved to be essential parts of the job.
Seeing the wider business
Although operations formed the largest part of the placement, spending time with other teams helped the students understand how the business functions as a whole.
The client service management and finance teams gave them a wider view of how client relationships, internal records and commercial processes support the work taking place on the data centre floor. One student observed that administrative accuracy and client communication are “just as critical to the business operations as the physical engineering”.
Joe also noticed how closely different teams work together, particularly when responding to priority issues. The placement showed that data centre work is not carried out in isolation. Operations, client service and other teams all contribute to keeping customers informed and services running smoothly.
Challenging assumptions
The experience also helped challenge some assumptions about the data centre industry. Jack said his biggest misconception had come from mainstream media coverage, which often presents data centres as environmentally harmful. Seeing Datum’s facility first-hand gave him a different perspective. He was particularly struck by learning that the most significant water usage is the little water that’s used in the office.
More broadly, he felt the placement showed how purpose-built data centres are efficient than older company server rooms because they use specialised buildings, systems and equipment.
The students also gained a more realistic picture of the flexibility required in data centre roles. Joe noted that his understanding of shift patterns and on-call work developed during the placement, giving him a clearer view of what life as a data centre technician can involve.
Connecting college learning to the real world
For all three students, the placement helped connect their T Level studies with a real workplace. Their course includes software and hardware elements, with a particular focus on coding and web development, but Datum gave them a chance to see where digital services physically live.
“At college, my T Level focuses on coding and web development,” Jack reflected. “Seeing a real data centre reminded me that the software I build has to physically live somewhere.”
Joe felt that he learned differently in the workplace because the concepts he had studied were being put into practice around him. For Trisha, the experience increased her interest in hardware, despite coming from a software development background.
Developing confidence and future ambitions
By the end of the nine weeks, the students were proud of the responsibility they had been trusted with. Jack highlighted larger independent tasks such as tap-off power audits and decommissioning inventories, while Joe was especially proud of a client audit completed by the T Level students as a longer-term project.
Trisha summed up the placement as “hands-on, engaging, collaborative” – a fitting description for an experience that combined practical work, teamwork and exposure to different parts of the business.
The placement has also influenced future plans. Jack said he would be keen to pursue a career at Datum if an apprenticeship opportunity became available, while Trisha said the experience has played a part in her decision to change course at university towards hardware.
The students arrived at Datum with an interest in digital technology. They leave with a broader understanding of the data centre sector, the range of roles within it, and the level of precision required to operate critical infrastructure.