Mainframes power the heart of global commerce, driving critical operations for 90% of the world’s leading banks, retailers, healthcare, airlines, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. These organizations continually improve their systems to manage mission-critical data, and today they are focused on modernizing their mainframes to leverage every technological advantage including AI tools, cloud solutions, and platforms like AWS, Azure, Kyndryl, and Oracle. This is creating a high demand for mainframe expertise, which will be challenging to fill in 2025, as companies are faced with an aging workforce and skills gaps within new talent. This is driving organizations to address how to develop the next generation of talent, upskill their existing staff, and maintaining their systems to meet essential business needs.
Reimagining Mainframe Talent Development
Traditional approaches to mainframe staffing no longer meet today’s demands. Universities rarely teach mainframe skills, and conventional hiring cannot keep pace with retirement rates. However, many organizations are discovering that this challenge presents an unprecedented opportunity to transform their approach to technical talent through work-based training programs.
Auto Membership Club: A Story of Innovation
In Spring 2021, a leading auto membership program faced this exact situation. They partnered with Franklin Skills to pioneer a fresh approach to talent development utilizing an apprenticeship-inspired program. This innovative approach combined internal advancement opportunities with external recruitment, creating a dynamic solution that exceeded expectations.
The program began with twelve candidates—split evenly between promising internal employees and talented external recruits. Each participant completed a career fit assessment and comprehensive foundational training, ensuring the learners’ aptitude and a strong technical foundation regardless of their background. This balanced approach preserved valuable institutional knowledge while bringing new perspectives to the team.
The success proved transformative. What began as a focused mainframe initiative quickly expanded into a comprehensive technical talent strategy. The program grew to encompass software engineering, network engineering, and help desk positions, demonstrating the versatility of this impactful approach. Geographic expansion followed naturally, with the program extending from Southern California to Texas, developing a technical talent pipeline.
The Franklin Skills Advantage
Franklin Skills’ approach transcends traditional training by integrating technical excellence with professional development. Franklin’s comprehensive curriculum builds mastery in critical mainframe competencies including z/OS operations, DB2 database administration, CICS transaction processing, and RACF security implementation. Through these programs, participants earn industry-recognized credentials including IBM Z Technical Skills badges, z/OS Mastery certificates, and specialized certifications in DB2, CICS, and security management. Dedicated success coaches work alongside new and existing team members throughout the learning journey, ensuring both technical mastery and professional skills development within the work environment.
Success coaches also work with the managers to set program expectations and do the heavy lifting associated with onboarding, support and learner accountability freeing up critical manager time. This is not an academic approach, but a comprehensive program that has led to exceptional outcomes: learners achieve 80% competency within six months, and these implemented programs maintain a remarkable 94% organizational retention rate.
Programs are curated to each organization’s specific systems and workflows, creating professionals who aren’t just technically proficient but fully integrated team members capable of driving innovation. Through hands-on experience with system monitoring, database optimization, security administration, and job scheduling, learners develop practical skills aligned with industry demands. Franklin Skills’ track record of serving over 4,000 learners across 100+ global employers demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach in addressing the mainframe skills crisis.
Secure Your Mainframe Future
The path to a thriving mainframe workforce is clear. Through strategic assessment, comprehensive training, coaching and ongoing support, organizations can build sustainable talent pipelines that ensure continued operational excellence. Join industry leaders in transforming your approach to mainframe talent development, contact Franklin Skills today and secure your organization’s technical future.