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Launching Northern Virginia Community College’s Data Center Operations Program

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ClientNorthern Virginia Community CollegeLocationLoudoun and Woodbridge, VirginiaFeaturedAmatrol training equipment, DAC trainers, Greene Manufacturing Inc. furnitureShare
NVCC Data Center Program Loudoun Trainer Classroom

Empowering the Next Generation of Data Center Professionals with Advanced Hands-On Training Facilities

Overview

Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) launched a pioneering Data Center Operations program to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the data center industry. This program, designed to train students in managing and maintaining data center facilities, spans multiple disciplines, including HVAC, electrical systems, power distribution, and process control. With grant funding, NVCC established state-of-the-art labs across its Loudoun and Woodbridge campuses, enabling hands-on learning and comprehensive training for students.

Our team played a vital role in outfitting several of these labs with cutting-edge equipment, ensuring that the facilities would provide students with the practical skills necessary to thrive in this field.

Loudoun Campus: A Hub for Data Center Learning

1. Data Hall Classroom
The Data Hall at NVCC’s Loudoun campus is dedicated to housing servers and HVAC training equipment. The servers and racks were sourced externally, but we provided the critical HVAC training systems from Amatrol, including the T7082A HVAC training equipment. This classroom offers students hands-on experience in understanding the HVAC requirements of data centers, essential for maintaining optimal server performance and dealing with the heat generated by server operations.

2. AC/DC Power Classroom
To facilitate electrical training, this classroom houses advanced electrical systems equipment. We provided the following:

These tools help students develop foundational and advanced knowledge of electrical systems critical to data center operations.

3. Trainer Classroom
This room houses larger, more comprehensive training systems, providing students with a working classroom environment where they can interact with industrial-grade equipment. Installed systems include:

With these trainers, students learn to troubleshoot, manage, and maintain the equipment they will encounter in real-world data center environments.

Woodbridge Campus: Hands-On Technical Training

1. AC/DC Power Classroom
Similar to Loudoun, the Woodbridge campus features advanced electrical training systems. Equipment provided includes:

This classroom ensures students gain hands-on experience in electrical systems, preparing them for the technical challenges of working in data centers.

2. Classroom 2
This room primarily focuses on HVAC and mechanical training. It contains:

The room also stores some portable training systems that provide flexible learning experiences for students, offering insights into various data center mechanical and environmental systems.

3. Classroom 3
This space is dedicated to electrical machines and process control training. It includes:

Here, students learn how to operate and troubleshoot sophisticated electrical and control systems, key skills for data center technicians.

4. Data Hall
This classroom is dedicated to housing servers, allowing students to gain real-world experience in managing server infrastructure. The room includes GMI Wall Workstations, providing a functional workspace for students working on server maintenance and configuration.

Outcomes and Impact

The collaboration with NVCC to outfit the labs at the Loudoun and Woodbridge campuses has enabled the institution to launch its Data Center Operations program with industry-standard equipment. By providing students with access to hands-on training in HVAC, electrical systems, motor control, and process control, NVCC is preparing a new generation of skilled technicians for the growing data center industry.

This project not only supports the college’s goals of advancing technical education but also strengthens the workforce pipeline for data center operations in the Northern Virginia region, a hub for data centers globally.

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