Navigating labor shortages in DC construction - Padraig Leahy and Eoin Byrne featured in prominent insight article

Linesight's Padraig Leahy, VP in Seattle, and Eoin Byrne, VP in Phoenix, were featured in a recent Commercial Observer article, alongside a number of industry experts, discussing the critical labor shortage impacting the data center construction industry and providing insights into potential solutions.

The article delves into the challenges faced by the industry due to the scarcity of skilled labor. Leahy and Byrne offer expert perspectives on the matter, highlighting the urgent need for proactive measures to address this growing issue.

Padraig Leahy emphasized the importance of planning for future labor needs: "We need to be thinking about how much labor is needed in four or five years’ time because that’s how long it takes to train labor. The optimum time for an electrician is the age of 25, 26 to 35 — and that’s assuming they started training at 18. So, if you start training somebody today, they’re at their peak in six or seven years’ time. It’s a medium- to long-term way to look at it, and we need to make these forecasts now to meet the future demand."

Eoin Byrne highlighted the competitive landscape for skilled labor: "A lot of the data center hot spots are in the same locations where you’re seeing some of the high-tech industrial projects, and they’re competing for the same labor force. This includes generative artificial intelligence companies, commercial space exploration outfits, and chip manufacturers. The competition for tradespeople is not just from within our industry but also from these rapidly growing and similarly future-facing fields, making it even more critical for us to address the labor shortage proactively."

Subscribers of Commercial Observer can read the full insight here.