Lauderdale County supervisors and other officials joined leaders from the City of Meridian, Meridian Community College and Compass Datacenters on Friday in celebrating the launch of a new Mechanical, Electrical and Information Technology Data Center Pathway Program.
The 14-week course, which was created by Compass in Red Oak, Texas, is built to take students with no technology background and prepare them for in-demand jobs in the data center industry.
“We have a problem with shortage of skilled trades, and not because people aren’t available to do the work, it’s a shortage of pathways to get there,” said Sudhir Kalra, Fellow & Chief Advisor for Data Center Operations, Compass Data Centers. “We’re living through a transformational time for the American economy today.”
Data Centers, like previous innovations such as electricity and railroads, are poised to fundamentally change how Americans live their lives, Kalra said, and the true impact of the Meridian data centers and those who help build them will not be fully known for generations.
“In a hundred years, when a lot of us, all of us have come and gone, Meridian Community College will still be training people,” he said. “This campus we’re building today will still be part of the community, and what we’re shorting today is nothing short of phenomenal.”
Graduates of the Red Oak MEI program have gone on to work at Siemens, Schneider Electric, Salute, CBRE and other industry giants, many of which have since partnered with the program as well. To help launch the MEI program and ensure the opportunity is open for all, Compass is covering 100% of tuition costs for the first 12 cohorts to go through the program at MCC.
Lauderdale County Supervisor Josh Todd, who represents District 3 and serves as president of the Board of Supervisors, said much of the focus since Compass announced plans to build a $10 billion data campus in Meridian has focused on the tax revenue and economic impact such a project will bring. The MEI program, however, will transform residents lives by providing well-paying jobs, financial stability and security.
“You’ve changed our trajectory. You’ve changed the lives or not only us, but my kids’ lives, my children. That’s what you’ve done,” he said. “And even the people of Lauderdale County don’t really grasp it yet because we really don’t know what’s to come.
“So, thank you for your partnership. Thank you isn’t good enough, but we’re going to show you.”
Meridian Community College is focused on the mission of helping people move forward, whether they be recent high school graduates, workers looking for a second career or simply coming to expand their knowledge. That mission is why MCC leadership was enthusiastic when Compass approached the college about establishing its MEI Data Center Pathway Program in Meridian.
MCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner said the demand for workers with the training to work in and around data centers is only growing, and bringing the new program to Meridian will help meet that need. As the first program of its kind in the state, the MEI program will not only be a benefit for Meridian but for the state of Mississippi.
“What I love about this program is how accessible it is. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need previous experience,” Huebner said. “You simply need a willingness to learn and the determination to take advantage of an opportunity over 14 weeks.”
Meridian is known as the Queen City, Mayor Percy Bland said, but the growth, opportunity and momentum in the city and Lauderdale County are far beyond competition in the state. A critical component of that change, he said, is a skilled workforce, and thanks is owed to both Compass and MCC for working to provide just that.