INDUSTRY WATCH
people began to take me and my profile
more seriously,” said Hussain.
“The course enabled us to consolidate the
knowledge that we had but didn’t know
we had. I do know all this, I now have it
on paper and I can talk to partners and
suppliers with confidence,” said Willis.
“It makes the old guard take us more
seriously. We have a certification behind us
that confirms that we actually know what
we’re talking about,” said Green.
From left to right: Rebecca Willis,
James Green and Aminah Hussain
Hussain and Willis report that the dearth
of information about liquid and immersed
WE HAVE A CERTIFICATION
BEHIND US THAT CONFIRMS
THAT WE ACTUALLY KNOW
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.
procedures. Here, there’s not a gap
between the facilities and IT that you get
in some places. In everything we did, we all
sat down together – bringing our different
disciplines together – to work things out
between us… that helps us to move
forward faster,” said Willis. “For example, I
sat down with Aminah and said, ‘I need to
know these things’.” cooling in the CDCTP programme meant
that their experience of working with these
technologies positioned them as ‘experts’.
CNet noted the learners’ feedback regarding
the limitations of the material covered on
the course and Paul Gorman, Technical
Development Manager, plans to meet the
team to discuss how some of the content
can be enhanced.
“I had no idea what transducers to pick for
the mechanical, I had no idea what half
the mechanical is, so it was like ‘Rebecca,
what’s this?’ You get the answer straight
away,” said Hussain. “The task of maintaining the technical
accuracy of the CNet Training technical
education programmes consumes a
significant amount of my time and I
sincerely appreciate constructive feedback
from our learners,” said Gorman.
Towards the end of his internship, Green
completed CNet’s CNCI training. He came
back from this with improved confidence and
feeling that he had more credibility in the
industry. “I thought, ‘I belong here. I know
what I’m talking about and what I’m doing’.
It gave me that confidence when talking to
suppliers about snagging issues,” said Green.
This sentiment was also expressed by
Hussain and Willis after they completed
CNet’s remote access CDCTP programme
weeks after the end of their internship.
“It makes other people take you more
seriously. When I put my badge on LinkedIn,
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INTELLIGENTCIO
“It was particularly refreshing coming from
the younger end of the industry spectrum. I
am excited by the prospect of meeting the
team in person to explore their considered
opinions in greater detail.”
Empowered with the confidence provided
by both their professional certifications
and seven months intensive on-the-job
experience, these young engineers are
embracing new challenges.
With her interest in energy and
sustainability, Willis is leading projects
involving the identification of new battery
storage products and discussions about
how to develop and improve current
immersive technologies for the end-user.
Hussain is currently working with several
software companies to identify ways of
improving reporting via the front-end
BMS she has developed. As software-
defined data centres evolve, her passion
for software development positions her
to play a crucial role in this process.
Green is responsible for managing the
data centre’s IT infrastructure and
developing the services offered to SME
clients. He is also exploring the possibility
of utilising immersed cooling for the
telecommunications systems at point of
presence (POPs).
Willis commented: “The opportunities
I’ve had within my first seven months
have been incredible. I’ve been able to
do things I wouldn’t have had access to
in a lot of companies, either within or
outside of this industry.”
All graduates plan to remain with
their present employer and work
towards more industry qualifications.
In the meantime, Green and Willis are
volunteering as STEM ambassadors and
all three have been involved in school
outreach activities to raise awareness
of both diversity in STEM and the data
centre industry.
“Teaching other people helps solidify
my own knowledge. I enjoy getting
people enthusiastic about things I like,”
said Green.
“A lot of STEM ambassadors are retired,
so less relatable than someone younger.
Being an engineer seems a long way off
when you’ve got someone much older
talking to you about careers.
“It seems more possible when you hear
it from someone closer to your own age,
especially if they’re the same sex as you,”
said Willis.
Aminah, James and Rebecca work for
coolDC, winner of the 2019 Global DCD
Energy Smart Award. coolDC was a finalist
in the CSR category of the DCD awards for
its student engagement work. n
www.intelligentcio.com