Facebook's Investment Will Help Those With Technology Skills
Social media giant, Facebook is building a $1 billion data center in Fort Worth, Texas. The announcement at the beginning of July is good news for the North Texas area.
This investment into the area proves that Dallas-Fort Worth is still leading employment growth. While initially there will be 40 employees, it is projected that there could up approximately 100 working at the new facility. The salary positions at Facebook are reported to pay an average of $70,000 a year.
According to the Dallas Business Journal, the Fort Worth site was selected over others because of its access to fiber and renewable energy, its central U.S. location, and the ability for growth as Facebook's needs expand to meet growing user demand.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Gov. Greg Abbott said, "Today is the latest example of how the Texas model worked in attracting jobs, investment and innovative projects." The governor remarked that Texas has surpassed California as a technology exporter. With Facebook "liking" North Texas, it is hoped that other technology companies will move to the area.
Those with higher education (i.e., master's degrees and above) are best poised to capture the growth of technology data centers in the region.
"'Job security' is not how secure you are in your current job, rather, it's what kind of job you can get if your current job suddenly evaporates. Many of us get complacent and are caught by surprise when our current career abruptly ends. A master's degree can make a huge difference getting back in the game," said Allen Gwinn, who is the senior director of technology at Southern Methodist University (SMU). He supervises the technology at the Cox School of Business at SMU. Gwinn said, "Today's technology leaders need a much broader base of education than was needed when the industry was in its infancy."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com