Yondr recently welcomed students from UTC Reading for an immersive work experience week as part of its commitment to the Digital Futures Programme; a key initiative designed to nurture diverse talent entering the digital infrastructure sector.  

What is the Digital Futures programme? 

Digital Futures connects technology companies with four University Technical Colleges (UTCs), providing students with enhanced academic and technical education alongside deep insights into the digital infrastructure industry.  

As a founding partner, Yondr focuses its support on UTC Heathrow and UTC Reading – the institutions closest to its Slough site – to best serve the local community. 

This year’s week-long programme brought together students for hands-on learning experiences that spanned financial modelling, technical design, site operations, and professional skills development. 

A week of immersive learning 

The structured programme featured five core components that provided real-world insights and experience. 

 

Activity	Lead	Description
Site selection challenge	Corporate Development	Financial modelling, due diligence, and business collaboration to recommend one of three potential sites
Design workshop	Design Team	Exploration of Yondr’s design process, cooling systems, and test fits
Site tours	Construction & Operations Teams	Guided visits to LON1C construction site and LON1A with Q&A sessions
Presentation skills workshop	People Team	Professional communication and delivery training
Energy fundamentals course	Energy Team	An introductory curriculum on data center energy systems

 

As student Ryan Sebastian noted: “One of my favourite moments from the entire week was the session with William, who thoroughly explained the yield matrix. I loved the site visit and how Kam welcomed us all in and gave a short introduction to her role.” 

The week ended with students presenting a capital approval request to an internal investment committee. A challenging experience designed to push participants beyond their comfort zones while demonstrating their newly acquired data center knowledge and professional skills.   

Aligning with Yondr’s community impact strategy 

This work experience initiative sits at the heart of Yondr’s broader social impact strategy, built on the two guiding principles of being a Welcome Neighbour in the communities we operate in and a Global Citizen by creating value across regions. 

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this programme is helping students understand the wide range of opportunities our industry offers. Through their work experience, they saw first-hand how energy, design, engineering, sustainability and operations come together to solve complex challenges. By giving young people exposure to these careers early, we can help inspire the next generation of talent our industry will need.” noted David Mitcheltree, Yondr’s Energy Director. 

Why young talent matters to the data center industry  

The digital infrastructure sector faces a critical challenge: exponential growth demands a workforce capable of sustaining and expanding data centre capacity.  

With global digitalisation accelerating across every industry – from cloud computing to AI applications – the pipeline of skilled professionals must expand accordingly. 

Key factors driving this talent imperative include: 

/ Skills gap mitigation: specialised roles in electrical engineering, cooling systems, sustainability, and operations need early exposure and targeted training. 

/ Diversity and inclusion: broadening recruitment beyond traditional channels ensures varied perspectives and innovation. 

/ Long-term succession planning: investing in youth today secures operational continuity tomorrow. 

/ Local economic contribution: creating pathways for regional talent strengthens community ties and reduces reliance on imported expertise. 

Transparency builds trust: lifting the lid on data centers 

Beyond workforce development, opening the doors of data centers serves another vital purpose: demystifying an industry that’s often considered invisible by the public. 

Student Sophie Edwards reflected:  “My work experience at Yondr was both educational and enjoyable. I particularly loved visiting the data centre — it gave me valuable insight into what a data centre is and how it operates. The placement was structured like a real job, with hands‑on responsibilities rather than simply shadowing staff. This made the experience far more engaging and helped me develop a strong understanding of the workplace.” 

When the public – particularly young people – witness sophisticated engineering, rigorous security protocols, and environmental controls firsthand, misconceptions become informed understanding.  

Cross-organisation collaboration 

The programme drew participation from across Yondr’s organisational structure, demonstrating company-wide commitment: 

We’re grateful to everyone who gave up their time to make this a memorable experience for the students. 

Work experience is just one part of our communities strategy. Find out more in our 2025 Sustainability Report.