It's happening! I know because I've seen the video: http://www.ca.com/files/videos/mainframe-recruit_205295.asx.
A new generation is arriving on the mainframe!
This is some of the best news I've heard since I wrote my original whitepapers (http://ca.com/us/whitepapers/collateral.aspx?CID=64111 and http://www.ca.com/us/whitepapers/collateral.aspx?cid=78289) and article (http://zjournal.com/index.cfm?section=article&aid=248) about the need to get a new generation in place.
Over the past four years, I've seen signs that the mainframe world was starting to wake up and begin to deal with the need to get a new generation in place, starting with such things as the SHARE zNextGen project (see http://www.znextgen.org/), very ably led by 20-something new mainframer Kristine Harper Neely (see her blog at http://www.neonesoft.com/blog/blogs/kharper/default.aspx).
I've also seen CA establish new initiatives, such as hiring new mainframers in North America and around the world, including at our Mainframe Center of Excellence in Prague.
In fact, just today, CA has even issued a press release about the important role that new 20-something mainframers are playing in developing our Mainframe 2.0 initiative and other key things we're announcing this month as part of May Mainframe Madness.
Clearly, we're well on our way in the journey to get a new generation in place and effective on the mainframe, and that's great news!
Of course, that's just the beginning. Now it's time to use all this good news to start waking up the management of mainframe shops around the world to the value of their mainframes and the people that run them.
How about you? Does your management realize the importance of their mainframe environment and people? What will you do to make sure they do? Feel free to start by sharing this blog and the above links. Let's get the word out!