NOVA Celebrates Federal Investment to Expand Data Center Programs

Today, in recognition of International Data Center Day, NOVA joins our region’s data center community in both celebrating the importance of this industry to our local economy and applauding the successful efforts of our congressional delegation to further equip NOVA to support the industry’s growth.

Thanks to the direct efforts of U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and the support of area House members, the Omnibus Federal Budget Bill just signed by President Biden includes an earmark of $5.1 million to expand our currently Loudoun-based Data Center Operations Program to our Woodbridge Campus.

On Friday, March 18, Senator Kaine had the opportunity to visit the future home of NOVA’s second Data Center Operations Training Facility. The Senator was welcomed to the Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training by Provost Sam Hill and NOVA President Dr. Anne M. Kress.

“I also want to thank you for the $5.1 million commitment NOVA received from Congress to expand our data operations center program,” said Kress. “Northern Virginia is home to more than 70% of the world’s internet traffic.”

In fact, as Kress noted, Northern Virginia is already home to the largest data center market in the world, nearly equal to the second through fifth largest U.S. markets combined. These data centers form the backbone of the nation’s internet service and are increasingly important in diversifying and supporting our region’s tax base. 

To support the workforce needs of our employer partners, NOVA successfully created two data center operations, or DCO, programs in fall 2018: a one-year Career Studies Certificate and a two-year specialization of the Engineering Technology Associate of Applied Science degree, which is the only fully accredited data center degree program in Virginia.

“I am a huge community college champion,” said Senator Kaine. “You guys do the best job training here in the Commonwealth. What I love about community colleges is they are really flexible in meeting the needs of the locality. Nobody is better at this than NOVA.”

Our thanks again to our two Virginia senators and regional House members who made it possible for us to expand our ability to provide a quality, dependable workforce pipeline for industry and a path to family-sustaining careers for students.

Click here for information about NOVA’s DCO program.

Submitted by:
Hoang Nguyen, Communications-PIO, HDNguyen@nvcc.edu