ESG backs GeN+1 to boost UK data centre apprentices

ESG has joined GeN+1 as an Impact Sponsor, linking an established building services contractor with a data centre industry community group focused on early careers and networking.

Announced during National Apprenticeship Week 2026, the partnership centres on apprenticeships and other entry routes into the data centre supply chain. Both organisations pointed to skills shortages across digital infrastructure roles as the driver.

ESG delivers specialist construction and building services for mission-critical environments, including data centres. GeN+1 positions itself as a community for the next generation of the data centre sector, running events that build networks and share knowledge.

Demand for project management and mechanical and electrical engineering talent is rising as operators and contractors expand capacity for AI and hyperscale data centres. Apprenticeships remain a key route for employers to recruit and train staff for roles that combine engineering, construction delivery, and operational requirements.

The announcement comes as government and industry debate the pace and location of training provision. The UK Government has announced a GBP £725 million investment package to expand apprenticeships for young people, with new courses planned in areas including AI, engineering, and digital skills from April 2026.

Apprentice pipeline

ESG employs more than 300 people across the built environment. The UK-based firm is employee-owned and runs apprenticeship recruitment and training in quantity surveying, project management, and mechanical and electrical engineering.

The sponsorship builds on a longer emphasis on apprenticeships. ESG supported 50 apprentices across several key areas in 2025, the year it marked its 50th anniversary. In the same year, 10 craft and technical apprentices worked on the delivery of a 20MW data centre in West London.

Alongside formal training, apprentices work on live projects, supported by mentoring and structured learning. Some members of the leadership team also progressed through the apprenticeship route and now mentor new recruits.

GeN+1 said the sponsorship will run through National Apprenticeship Week and beyond. The partnership will promote apprenticeship pathways for young men and women, share early-career development practices, and raise awareness of roles in the data centre sector.

Training focus

The data centre sector is drawing increasing attention as a growing part of the UK's digital economy. Developers, operators, and contractors have warned that skills constraints can slow delivery schedules and increase project risk, particularly when specialist knowledge is required, and strict uptime requirements apply.

Construction and building services contractors sit at the centre of this labour demand, needing site-based trades and technicians alongside engineering and project delivery roles. They also need staff who can work across off-site fabrication, digital design and on-site integration.

ESG receives more than 400 applicants each year for its apprenticeship programmes. Around 24% of its craft apprentices are women, reflecting wider efforts across engineering and construction to increase female participation.

The company also highlighted its work in off-site construction and digital design. It has an in-house Design for Manufacture and Assembly facility that produces off-site-assembled solutions, and a digital engineering function that includes an applications development team, immersive visualisation tools, and BIM deployment.

Sector network

GeN+1 was set up as a networking and events community for younger professionals and others interested in professional development within the data centre sector. It focuses on social interaction and knowledge sharing, with an emphasis on building peer relationships.

Richard Irwin, Director at RI-ConX and co-founder of GeN+1, said ESG had supported the group's early work.

"ESG has backed GeN+1 from the very beginning, sponsoring our first-ever event and believing in the mission before most people even knew what it was," said Richard Irwin, Director, RI-ConX Ltd, and co-founder of GeN+1. "Its long-standing commitment to developing new talent makes this impact partnership a natural evolution of our journey together, and we are glad to welcome them as new Impact Partners for 2026."

ESG Chief Executive Mark Sampson linked apprenticeships to wider national ambitions for AI and data centres.

"ESG's mission is to empower the next generation, and we firmly believe that apprentices are critical to deliver the UK's AI and data centre ambitions," said Mark Sampson, CEO, ESG. "Our long-standing ethos as a business perfectly aligns with the values and mission of GeN+1, and we're delighted to become their latest Impact Partner for 2026."

GeN+1 said it will continue to add Impact Partners and run events throughout the year as it expands its community and links with employers across the data centre sector.