Philadelphia Students Get Firsthand Look at Data Center Career Opportunities Through New Industry Partnership

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the data center industry works to close a widening skills gap, three organizations teamed up to give Philadelphia students a firsthand look at careers in the field. The 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Netrality, and Lincoln Tech hosted an event that included a tour of Netrality’s data center facility and introduced students to career pathways within the critical infrastructure and data center sectors.

On July 8, 2026, approximately 40 students from Lincoln Tech’s HVAC and Electrical & Electronics programs toured Netrality’s landmark facility at 401 N. Broad Street. The visit opened with a presentation on how data centers support next-generation technologies, cloud computing, and daily digital life, along with the history of the 401 N. Broad building. Students also heard a breakdown of the career paths available in the industry, from operations and engineering to network architecture, controls and monitoring, and construction.

“Events like this give students a chance to see the industry firsthand and start building relationships with the people who could become their future colleagues,” said Janine Repine, Executive Director at 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter. “As the demand for skilled talent related to data centers grows more important each day, partnerships like this one are how we make sure students are ready to step into these careers and build strong futures for themselves.”

7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter awarded a record $25,000 in scholarships during the event, presenting five $5,000 awards to Lincoln Tech students. The chapter received more than 20 scholarship applications this year, reflecting the growing interest in careers supporting the mission-critical and data center industries.

“This year marks the first time we've been able to award $25,000 in scholarships, and we're grateful to our sponsors and members who make that possible,” said Greg Vlassopoulos, Scholarship Committee Chair for the 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter. “Our goal is to continue expanding the program each year so we can help even more students pursue careers in this industry and strengthen the workforce for years to come.”

In addition to this event that broadens students’ educational pathways, Lincoln Tech is exploring including content focused on Mission Critical Industries as part of their curriculum offerings. This would give students a more direct path from the classroom into data center careers.

Learn more about how the 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter supports workforce development and educational programs across the region. Students interested in future scholarship opportunities can apply through the 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter Scholarship Program.

About 7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter
7x24 Exchange Greater Philadelphia Chapter is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the mission-critical industry through education, knowledge sharing, and professional networking. The chapter brings together professionals across the data center ecosystem and supports workforce development initiatives, scholarships, and educational programs designed to cultivate the next generation of industry leaders.

About Lincoln Tech
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education helping to provide solutions to America’s skills gap. Lincoln offers career-oriented programs to recent high school graduates and working adults in four principal areas of study: skilled trades, automotive, health sciences and information technology. Lincoln has provided the workforce with skilled technicians since its inception in 1946 and currently operates 22 campuses in 12 states under the brands Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Nashville Auto Diesel College. The Company was incorporated in 2003 as the successor-in-interest to various acquired schools including Lincoln Technical Institute, Inc. which opened its first campus in Newark, New Jersey. For more information, please go to www.lincolntech.edu.

About Netrality
Netrality Data Centers owns and operates strategic interconnection data centers and Meet Me Rooms, providing a mix of colocation, powered shell, and wholesale data center solutions driven by fiber-dense, network-rich interconnection environments. Today, Netrality’s eighteen properties span 3.3 million square feet and over 100 megawatts of capacity across North America. For more information, please go to www.netrality.com.