The IBM Mainframe Skills Council brings together a global community to develop mainframe talent.

The global economy runs on transactions, and 70% of transactions by value are executed on IBM Z® mainframes. Many of the world’s largest companies rely on IBM Z to support their core businesses, and through a process of continuous innovation, IBM Z delivers industry-leading technology to customers with each new generation. Modern mainframe technologies are critical for enterprises to implement AI, modernize applications, integrate across the enterprise, and sustain digital transformation.

These skills are essential to the future of the platform, whether training new talent, deepening the skills of existing communities, or introducing new technologies and features to the platform.

A forum for building the skills of the future

IBM®, Broadcom and 21CS recently commissioned The Futurum Group to survey business, university leaders and students about trends across the mainframe landscape. The survey covered several topics, including but not limited to talent acquisition, curriculum and development skills delivery, as well as priority areas for mainframe students.

Futurum Group found that 60% of organizations surveyed are working closely with industry suppliers who offer bootcamps, training or apprenticeship programs to connect with skilled candidates. They also found a healthy demand pipeline for talent, with 91% of organizations surveyed saying they expect to hire a mainframe systems administrator or mainframe application developer in the next one to two years. The full report, Global Mainframe Technology Report 2024: Insights from Industry and Education Experts, is scheduled for release on May 6, 2024.

Mainframe Technology Committee

To continually build technology by bringing together the broader global community, IBM Mainframe Technology Committee. The council will provide a forum for global organizations to work together, providing exciting opportunities to unite communities, share experiences, and jointly implement solutions to build a strong global workforce for mainframe platforms.

Members include representatives from IBM customers, IBM partners, academia, user groups, non-profit organizations, and the public community.

The council framework includes working groups focused on career awareness, role-based competency frameworks, learning pathways and continuous talent growth. This council builds on many of the IBM mainframe technology programs already in place.

Accessible learning is a cornerstone of the IBM approach.

In addition to the traditional academic curriculum, IBM has turned to non-traditional pathways beyond the traditional classroom to inspire, connect, train and grow new mainframe talent. These programs include:

• IBM Z Student Ambassadors: At nearly 100 colleges and universities, these on-campus ambassadors inspire students by hosting events and founding and leading Mainframe Student Clubs.
• IBM Z Career Connection Events:These events bring employers and students together. The IBM Z Xplore learning experience was introduced to encourage students to earn digital certifications and pursue mainframe careers.
• IBM Z Virtual Career Fair: These events connect badge-earning mainframe talent with employers. In fact, IBM is sponsoring Virtual Career Fairs around the world throughout April and May.
• Mainframe technology repository: This new comprehensive platform offers more than 1,000 hours of hands-on, self-paced mainframe training courses organized by job role. Whether you’re new to systems administration or app development, or looking to deepen your skills, this platform has something to offer. There is also content for modernization architects who want to explore the capabilities of consolidating and modernizing applications.
• IBM Z Global Technology Accelerators and Apprenticeships: The program is available to mainframe employers for new or existing employees and is a holistic approach that allows employees to build skills without requiring them to have an IT background or training. Through more than 300 hours of learning, success coaching, on-the-job training and mentoring, the program has helped 83 global employers upskill more than 440 new mainframe system administrators and application developers.

Today, working with mainframe technology extends beyond education and training. IBM also introduced new strategies and technologies to address the number of specialized skills required.

• leveling. We are continuously working to simplify processes across our hardware and software stack to reduce the number of specialized activities required to operate and maintain our systems.
• standardization. We have invested in adopting open industry standards across the IBM Z platform.
• AI and automation. We are working to leverage AI to automate tasks that currently require manual intervention. For example, we are embarking on a journey to infuse AI into z/OS®.

IBM’s Mainframe Technology program is designed to provide opportunities for everyone, from beginners to experts. Whether you want to expand your skills or share your knowledge with others, IBM technology programs can help you connect and succeed in our community.

Inspire, connect, educate and grow with IBM Z Skills.