Many business-critical organisations continue to rely on mainframes, yet the industry faces a growing skills shortage as experienced professionals retire. This session explores why attracting and developing young talent is essential for the future of enterprise computing.

I will discuss how internships, graduate programmes, mentorship, industry initiatives, and communities such as IBM Z Xplore, Open Mainframe Project etc. help prepare the next generation of mainframe professionals. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges of recruiting new talent, the opportunities available to students and early-career professionals, and how organisations can strengthen the future mainframe workforce.