The mainframe industry is in a continual state of evolution, requiring ongoing training and development for new professionals. Trainers, mentors, team leaders, and department managers all need reliable access to mainframe resources to ensure their teams are equipped with up-to-date skills and knowledge. As new talent enters the field, the necessity for accessible and effective training has become more pressing than ever.

Understanding the Truth About IT Skills

Countless market surveys highlight a continued reliance on the mainframe environment in supporting large-scale business operations. Despite the wide array of IT platforms available, the IBM mainframe remains the cornerstone for business-critical workloads. Its usage is only increasing, as more organisations rely on its stability and scalability to meet the demands of expanding customer bases and enhanced functionalities.

This growth translates into a continual demand for skilled mainframe professionals. As seasoned experts retire, the increased workload requires a frequent intake of individuals able to understand the intricacies of mainframe systems. Consequently, the need for robust training programmes and skills development initiatives is rising. Basic economic principles of supply and demand are at play, alongside the persistent and well-documented IT skills “challenge” facing the industry. Our recent survey revealed that 79% of respondents felt staffing limitations were hindering business objectives.

Achieving an Optimal Balance Between Cost and Access

Mainframes are complex to manage and come with a considerable price tag. The cost of running a mainframe is often justified by its role as the powerhouse behind many revenue-generating activities. Organisations are typically willing to invest in mainframe operations when it directly supports business output.

However, justifying the costs for less tangible activities such as research or training is much more difficult. Since production workloads take precedence, dedicating mainframe time for onboarding, mentoring, skill-building, and exploration can be severely restricted and hard to secure. Many organisations struggle to allocate adequate resources for non-production purposes, even though such investment is vital for longer-term business vitality. Our recent survey revealed 88% of mainframe users faced material concerns over accessing environments.

Addressing the Persistent Issue of Training Accessibility

Imagine if mainframe environments could be made available on demand, appearing whenever a training session or research project required them. This would eliminate the constant struggle for access and enable teams to develop skills without disrupting business operations.

An article by Planet Mainframe introduces this very concept: the virtual mainframe. Virtualised mainframe environments – a real z/OS environment available whenever required, and only for the duration of the requirement – empower users to learn and experiment in a risk-free and cost-efficient domain, without impacting live systems or incurring costly administrative or operational burden.

The Value of Instantly Available z/OS Environments

The article identifies two inter-related aspects mainframe training:

• Training and Skills Development: With many experienced developers retiring, there is an urgent need to train new talent. Virtual mainframes provide a flexible and accessible platform for both newcomers and seasoned employees to build new skills or enhance existing knowledge, within a secure, instantly available, yet controlled environment.
• Research and Scenario Testing: Virtual mainframes enable organizations to test new configurations, software updates, or troubleshoot procedures before applying them to production systems. Such activities can also provide more advanced training scenarios, so once again making use of a virtual z/OS environment reduces risk and fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Tackling the Skills Shortage

Ready access to configured z/OS resources to use for both forms of training offers a breakthrough opportunity to accelerate new skills acquisition and remove needless cost and delay from the onboarding process.

But more than that, it is a huge weapon in the skills crisis battle. The mainframe skills gap remains a significant concern for organisations worldwide. Virtual mainframes environments, immediately available, fully loaded with the right configurations and tools, enable training and research to take place independently from live environments. Furthermore, virtual mainframes support a culture of ongoing development, where staff can practise, experiment, and innovate without fear of causing downtime or data loss.

Moving Forward with Skill

The mainframe industry’s reliance on skilled professionals is stronger than ever, and, with traditional mainframe environments presenting challenges in terms of access and cost, the need for effective training solutions remains vital.

• The virtual z/os environment provided by PopUp Mainframe X and Z editions provides a flexible, cost-efficient, and practical solution to the continuing problem of mainframe training environments.
• Furthermore, the new PopUp Mainframe Flex Edition offers the same capabilities on an as-needed, pay-per-use basis, a flexible arrangement which could be important for mainframe training teams or providers.

For mainframe onboarding leaders and third-party training organizations, harnessing the power and flexibility of a PopUp Mainframe virtual z/OS environment could revolutionize efficient mainframe training delivery. If you’re considering the best way to provide mainframe training, learn more about our solution here, and get in touch.