This document discusses the changing demographics in the IT workforce as Baby Boomers retire and need to be replaced by Millennials. There is a predicted talent drain as 80,000 mainframe positions will need to be filled by 2020. The document outlines IBM's new programs and initiatives to recruit and retain Millennial mainframe talent, including apprenticeship programs, internships, training courses, and communities. It provides advice on effectively onboarding, mentoring, and engaging Millennials to build a long-term mainframe workforce. Interviews with Millennial mainframe professionals provide their perspectives on hiring and retention.

1. Rethinking the
Mainframe Talent Drain
Ken Harper, Ensono Director, Mainframe Services
Christy Schroeder, IBM Skills Client Leader

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Presenters
Ken Harper
Ensono – IT Director
Ken Harper is the Mainframe Product
Leader at Ensono, with over 30 years of
mainframe experience within the health
insurance, retail, industrial, financial and
IT services sectors of business.
Christy Schroeder
IBM – Skills Client Leader
Christy Schroeder has worked at IBM for over
25 years, with the vast majority of that time
dedicated to enterprise computing. In her
current role, Christy helps z Systems clients
find, train and retain enterprise talent.

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The Millennial Perspective
Andrew Meister
Mainframe Systems
Programmer
Andrew Hicks
z/OS Function Test
Steven Boyd
Associate System
Mainframe Programmer
Luisa Martinez
Unix System Services
Northern Illinois University Clarkson University SUNY New PaltzNorthern Illinois University

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Overview
The Changing Demographics
Recruiting Millennials
Effective Onboarding
Success Factors for Retention
Staying Ahead; New Programs and Initiatives
The Millennial Perspective

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Workforce Demographics Continue to Change
ChangeMainframe Talent Drain
The IT workforce is changing
with more Millennials entering and
veterans, like mainframers, retiring
In 2011,
the oldest of the Baby Boomer
generation reached the age of 65
10,000
Baby Boomers
turn 65 every day
80,000 mainframe
positions will emerge
worldwide by 2020
The core systems
of hundreds of banks, insurers
and retailers are mainframes
Largest Health
Insurance companies
90% are on mainframes
Corporate data
80% resides or originates on
mainframes
The world’s economy
is supported by
hundreds of billions
of lines of COBOL code

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Changes Over the Past Year
Uptick in Mainframe demand and workload
New Mainframe features and products
Unprecedented events over the past 18 months
putting demand on staff
Supply keeping up with demand
Retirements, replacements and new recruits/interns

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New IBM z Skills Programs and Initiatives
Mainframe Apprenticeship
Program
$7.5M Dept. of Labor Contract
z Enterprise Computing
Kickstart Offering
44 hours free training for students
z Advocacy Hub
Fun and engaging z community
z/OS Internship Program
Free training for clients
z/OS MOOC
Over 2,500 attendees

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New IBM z Skills Programs and Initiatives
z Systems Trial Program
DevOps
Cloud
Analytics
Enhanced z Skills Website
Master the Mainframe Contest
10,000 participants
z Academic Initiative Schools
Over 1,000 worldwide

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Recruiting Millennials
• Develop relationships with schools
- Career fairs (have positions available)
- Events
- Guest lectures/Teach
• Emphasize career advancement opportunities
• Promote system capabilities
• Open the aperture for qualified candidates
- Non-technical skills are important too
• Be mindful of how you advertise openings
- Use their language
• Send recent hires to recruit have them help vet candidates

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Effective Onboarding
• Create a collaborative environment for success
• Evaluate and place in the best positions to thrive
• Outline realistic expectations and value from interns
• Do not make it confusing and/or frustrating
• Build a path getting them engaged to feel and
touch the Mainframe

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Success Factors for Retention
• Match candidates based on potential
• Connect candidates with an effective mentor
• Assign clear-cut timely objectives and assignments
• Active development to increase value of your investment
• Continuous, effective and open communication
• Listen, adjust and measure

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Retaining Millennials to z
Gen z
Assign mentors
Foster a positive environment
Offer continued learning and career advancement
Bring them into the z community
Send to conferences, z Council meetings
Provide leadership opportunities
Ensure creative atmosphere (radical recess)

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The NextGen Perspective
What advice would you give someone interested in hiring someone like you?
What are the most important factors for a Millennial to consider when
accepting a job?
01
02
03 Did you have any mainframe experience prior to getting hired?
04 How did you learn mainframe and how did you get onboarded?

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Resources
Click on the links below to learn more about these programs:
 z Enterprise Computing Kickstart
 z Advocacy Hub
 zMOOC
 zSystems Trial Program
 zSkills Website
 Master the Mainframe
 Academic Initiative Schools

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