A sudden wave of retirements has left the mainframe industry suffering from a skills shortage, according to figures compiled by LzLabs
Mainframe migration specialist LZLabs has carried out a global survey to get a clear picture of what is happening at a customer level and discovered that just shy of half of those responding saw the loss of skills to support applications as the main concern.
The survey found that the average time until retiring staff will significantly impact a firm’s mainframe workforces is down to three years, from four in 2018.
This might not be a problem if mainframes did not remain mission-critical for many firms.
Thilo Rockmann, Chairman and COO of LzLabs said: “Our findings in last year’s survey highlighted the frustration IT leaders have with the cost and inflexibility of their mainframe applications. What we are seeing in this year’s is a realisation that the loss of mainframe skills poses a significant threat in the coming years, and piecemeal approaches will not be enough to solve this.”
With almost two-thirds of IT decision-makers reporting that the loss of mainframe skills presents a big risk to the entire business there are clearly opportunities for those in the channel with the right mix of skills.
