The big news is that IBM has launched the Mainframe Skills Council, and they did it at the SHARE conference in Orlando. So, I hear you ask, what’s a skills council? The idea is to provide a forum where global organizations will foster a skilled, diverse, sustainable workforce for the mainframe platform. The council includes organizations that are IBM clients, IBM partners, academia, user groups, non-profits, and open communities. They will collaborate to implement mainframe skills development solutions. The initial membership includes: Academic Mainframe Consortium, Albany State University, Broadcom, DNB Bank, HOGENT, M&T Bank, Northern Illinois University, Rocket Software, SHARE, and 21CS.
Meredith Stowell, Vice President, IBM Z Ecosystem, is quoted as saying: “The mainframe community has been working to close the mainframe generational skills gap and we’ve seen substantial progress. The Mainframe Skills Council represents an exciting opportunity to build on these advancements and ignite the community to share experiences and create mainframe talent solutions that can grow with the platform.”
In addition to IBM offering training, industry-recognized digital badging, academic community support, and non-traditional pathway programs, the broader IBM Z global community of universities, clients, user groups, and partners also provide mainframe skills solutions and insights. The Mainframe Skills Council brings together organizations to share experiences and collaboratively implement solutions to build a strong global workforce for the mainframe platform. Importantly, the council will include working groups focused on career awareness, competency frameworks, learning paths, as well as professional development. Council goals include:
· Showcase a vibrant mainframe talent pool.
· Align on common industry competency frameworks.
· Share ideas and practices to enhance professional development.
· Share education, training tools, and related resources to optimize overall mainframe career experience for professionals and leaders.
· Increase mainframe employer adoption of proven skill initiatives and practices.
IBM is also introducing the IBM Z Mainframe Skills Depot, which is a comprehensive platform for accessing mainframe skills training. Learners can choose from specialized tracks tailored to roles such as System Administrator, Application Developer, or Modernization Architect, and access over a thousand hours of self-paced, no-charge, hands-on learning to earn industry-recognized digital badges.
IBM currently offers the IBM Z Global Skills Accelerator and Apprenticeship program. With over 300 hours of learning, success coaching, on the job training, and mentorship, this program has enabled 83 global employers to skill up over 440 mainframe system administrators and application developers across 13 countries. In addition, the IBM Z Student Ambassador program provides leadership opportunities for students and supports mainframe student clubs on campuses at more than 95 universities worldwide.
In order for those talented newcomers to the world of mainframes to get jobs, IBM sponsors IBM Z Virtual Career Fairs around the world to bring together IBM clients, partners, and badged mainframe talent.
With the increasing concern about experienced mainframers retiring and the huge skills gap this will leave for so many organizations, this initiative from IBM and its collaborators is an important step in filling that gap and ensuring a steady stream of newcomers to the wonderful world of mainframe working. And it really will make life easier for those potential new mainframers.
