Many training programs promise to prepare people for data center careers.

A program in Red Oak, Texas now has early results to support that promise.

The Mechanical, Electrical and Information Technology Data Center Pathway at Texas State Technical College placed 21 of its first 22 graduates in data-center-related jobs, according to reporting by The Dallas Morning News.

Starting pay ranged from $22 to $40 per hour.

Graduates found jobs with Siemens, CBRE, Schneider Electric and Black Box. Those employers reveal something important. A person does not have to work directly for a hyperscaler or data center operator to enter the industry.

Equipment manufacturers, facilities companies and service providers also need trained workers.

Cover Picture: The Jim Pitts Industrial Technology Center at TSTC’s North Texas campus in Red Oak, Texas.

The pathway operates at TSTC’s North Texas campus in Red Oak, about 20 miles south of Dallas.

The program lasts 12 weeks and includes approximately 224 to 235 hours of training. Students do not need previous data center experience.

The curriculum covers mechanical systems, electrical systems and information technology. Students practice skills used to support data center construction and operations.

Compass Datacenters helped develop the pathway and funded scholarships for the first cohort. Schneider Electric funded the second cohort. A standard tuition price and the total number of applicants have not been published.

The program has since expanded to TSTC campuses in Waco and Abilene. The third Red Oak cohort reportedly has a waiting list.

Paula Ombar spent more than 20 years working in auto-loan collections. She watched artificial intelligence begin to change her industry and decided to prepare for a different career.

After completing the program, she joined Black Box and began scheduling commissioning technicians.

Another first-cohort graduate, Jason, said the hands-on environment gave him a sense of belonging. He also saw a difference between employers discussing labor shortages and a program connected to real opportunities.

“It feels like I’m being listened to,” he said in a graduate profile published by Compass Datacenters.

Their stories show that a data center career does not always begin with years of electrical, mechanical or IT experience. It can begin with short training that connects students to employers.

The reported placement rate is approximately 95%.

However, the results cover only 22 graduates. Compass provided the hiring summary using information from TSTC.

The number is encouraging, but it does not prove that every future student will receive a job offer. Important questions remain:

These details will show whether the program can produce similar results as it grows.

Many job seekers search only for openings at Amazon, Google, Meta or Microsoft.

The TSTC results show why that search is too narrow.

Job seekers should include the following employer groups:

The work may appear under critical facilities, field service, commissioning, building systems, electrical systems or mechanical operations.

The job title may not include the words “data center.”

The TSTC pathway has several features that separate it from a general technical course.

An employer helped develop it. Companies funded scholarships. The curriculum covers multiple data center systems. The program also has documented placement and wage results.

Before paying for a training program, ask:

A certificate alone does not guarantee employment. The strongest programs connect training to specific employers and verified hiring demand.

The data center industry often says it needs more workers.

The TSTC pathway offers an early example of what can happen when an employer, a technical college and industry suppliers work together.

Twenty-one graduates found related jobs. Starting wages ranged from $22 to $40 per hour. Paula Ombar entered the field after more than 20 years in auto-loan collections.

The result is still small. But it gives career changers something more useful than another promise about future jobs.

It gives them a path they can examine.

Employer postings checked September 20, 2026. Availability may change.

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