AFCOM Potomac Chapter Kicks Off 6th Annual Internship Program
Held At Northern Virginia Community College
The 2023 AFCOM Potomac Chapter 6th annual internship kick off was held on Monday, February 13 at Northern Virginia Community College, (NVCC) Loudoun Campus. The AFCOM internship program is a bridge between academia and industry.
This summer, AFCOM intends to hire 15 paid, full-time interns from NVCC and other academic institutions and help them navigate their long-term career plan in the data center industry. Students are strategically placed based on their interests, receive the hands-on experience through the ten-week internships, and meet with various leaders and service providers in Loudoun County with the goal of job placement post the completion of the program.
This program is made possible each year by generous sponsors in the industry as well as the support of NVCC. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies looking to participate: AFCOM Internship Sponsor FAQ
“The goal of the entire program is to help connect data center education to the digital infrastructure industry,” said TJ Ciccone, an adjunct professor at NVCC and Vice President, Critical Operations at data center developer and operator, STACK Infrastructure, an executive sponsor of the program. “The program has become the standard on how to run a data center internship program and has received numerous inquiries on how best to replicate it. Its success is due to the support of NVCC and executive sponsors like my employer, STACK, which has donated tens of thousands of dollars back to the school.”
The event featured Stuart Dyer of CBRE, who presented the CBRE Data Center Market Intelligence Report, detailing the state of the industry. CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. In addition Carrie Goetz, Amazon Best Selling Author of Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers, (Available on Amazon) also spoke and signed copies of her book. Goetz is viewed as an authority in educating prospective employees on how to find a job in the highly sought-after data center industry.
“There is nothing better than engaging new talent with wisdom in the industry. This event was a great way to do just that, while bringing awareness to the industry and all the jobs within it. I’m so thankful that my book could catalyze knowledge and awareness. I hope this event was one of many more to come!” said Carrie Goetz.
“Workforce development is a core mission within AFCOM. I am thrilled that our program continues to grow and expand, and we couldn’t do this without the support of both our sponsors and Northern Virginia Community College. We will continue to focus on providing career changing opportunities to interns in our program and helping plug the next generation of workers into the data center community,” said Stuart Dyer, First Vice President at CBRE and Director of Scholarships at AFCOM Potomac.
The event was well attended by students interested in internship opportunities, along with other individuals looking to start out in the industry.
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About AFCOM Potomac: This chapter supports all of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia for individuals (members and non-members) who wish to learn about, participate in, and network with the Data Center Community. AFCOM advances through education, networking, and guidance, the professional development of individuals and the organizations they serve in the field of data center and IT infrastructure management.
AFCOM is actively participating in the education and training in the data center space, and in 2018 instituted an internship program. The program provides hands-on experience and invaluable connections for both the intern and the company who sponsors them. There is a great competition for talent in the Northern Virginia area, and AFCOM is dedicated to helping fill jobs with qualified professionals.
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