Dr. Cameron Seay, adjunct professor at East Carolina University (ECU), has spoken at length about the need for college campuses to bolster not only their mainframe training, but also their partnerships and collaborations with employers who would hire up-and-coming mainframe workers. In his efforts to foster the community on his own campus, Dr. Seay reached out to students to find someone to spearhead the ECU Mainframe Club. Matthew McDanal, IBM Z ambassador and IBM Z@East Carolina University (ECU) President, answered the call.
As SHARE celebrates the 60th anniversary of the mainframe, it’s clear there’s a new generation leading mainframe into the next 60 years — and the ECU Mainframe Club is just one place where these future innovators can be found.
Going All In
In the fall of 2023, McDanal replied to Dr. Seay’s request for students interested in the position of 2023-2024’s IBM Z ambassador for the university. “I found mainframe technology through Dr. Seay, who is now my mentor,” he said. “I had almost forgotten about the mainframe, but I knew what it was. I wasn’t up to date on how ingrained mainframes are in our society today. They are behind the scenes, running 70% of the world’s economy.” McDanal loves the mainframe’s reliability. “Without the hardware and software, the world would fall into disarray,” he said.
“After taking on the role, I had no idea how my life would change,” said McDanal. “A number of professionals in the mainframe space reached out to extend their support and knowledge, including Lifetime IBM Champion for IBM Z Dusty Rivers, Interskill CEO and IBM Lifetime Champion for Z Darren Surch, IBM Fellow Rosalind Radcliffe, and IBM’s PJ Catalano. They wanted to come to the club and advocate for the mainframe and share their expertise.”
Additionally, McDanal said, “IBM’s Shari Chiara, Lucas Sahn, and Devonte’ Hawkins have all encouraged me on my education and workplace journey. Chiara, for her part, even connected me with Jamira Torres-Murphy in Poughkeepsie, New York, so that I could interview her for an essay in my industrial supervision course this semester.” He added, “This is the kind of culture that I want to be a part of, and this is why I love the mainframe community and why I love to share that community with my peers in the ECU Mainframe Club.”
ECU Mainframe Club Ignites Students’ Passion for Learning
Last semester, the ECU Mainframe Club hosted a guest speaker from the mainframe community to talk with members about the technology. It also challenged members to check out the IBM Z Xplore platform. “Through these social events, a group of students who are curious, willing to learn and explore, and advance their education have emerged and are beginning to seek out mainframe career opportunities,” said McDanal.
IBM Z Xplore, for instance, provides students with hands-on learning. “I absolutely love the learning platform. It’s so easy to learn and use, and it gives you access to your own personal corner of the mainframe,” he explained. “Learning how to use Visual Studio and the Zowe plugin to practice mainframe coding is an absolute blast for anyone remotely interested in any kind of IT work. Plus, not only are you having fun, but you’re building your own resume with IBM-verified badges that you can display on LinkedIn or your resume.”
In Dr. Seay’s enterprise cloud computing course, McDanal and other students used a Mocha 3270 client and the ISPF to learn entry-level mainframe coding in REXX, Python, and JCL. “I’ve learned, however, that mainframe courses are not commonly offered at many colleges, and I agree with Dr. Seay that this needs to change. There is a gap that needs to be filled with quality mainframe technicians, and universities can fill those gaps,” he said.
According to McDanal, “IBM Z Xplore and the enterprise computing course have given me excellent entry-level mainframe knowledge.” As a hands-on learner, he said these experiences are ones he will never forget. “Unlike previous generations that learned through trial-and-error, my generation can gain hands-on experience in little time,” he added.
Mainframe Career Opportunities Are Everywhere
Nearly all industries today have mainframes running operations. This includes airlines, hotels, insurance, banking, and health care. Mainframes also power ATM and credit or debit card transactions. Banking, healthcare, and insurance are just some of the sectors that are subject to federal regulation, and many companies face penalties (reputational, financial, or otherwise) if their systems are disrupted. “There can be zero downtime for these companies,” said McDanal.
According to McDanal, “When you start talking about the number of industries that have mainframes, the government regulations facing industries, such as banking and insurance, and how IBM can satisfy clients’ compliance needs, it’s impossible to overlook the importance of the mainframe.” He added that once interested students learn about the entry-level pay for mainframe technicians, they are eager to get started.
McDanal sees mainframe’s future in the evolution of the mainframe platform with IBM z16, watsonX, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum-safe computing and encryption, and more. But the truth is, the future of mainframe is when the lifelong learner helps move technology and business forward.