Are You Struggling to Find RPG Developers?

Pave the way for new talent with imPower Technologies’ self-paced online courses and workshops

In recent years, the realm of IBM i and RPG development has faced a challenge that many industries are confronting: the retirement of seasoned professionals. With their extensive knowledge and experience, these experts have been the backbone of IBM i ecosystems for decades. As they step into retirement, organizations are faced with a significant talent shortage, leaving them to wonder how they will fill these critical roles and sustain the vitality of their IBM i systems. Additionally, retiring developers possess a deep knowledge of how systems are built, including customized code and programs and how the business functions on IBM i.

Though some companies might consider leaving the platform, most realize the investment does not pay off. As one of our past students, Jason Poersch, RPGLE programmer at F&A Foods, so eloquently stated, “It’s easier to train one or two people in IBM i and RPG than to train an entire company on a new system.”

Fortunately, we’ve seen innovative hiring solutions emerge by thinking outside of the box. Here are some examples:

Internal Hires

Identify individuals within other departments who exhibit an interest in IT. Your existing employees possess a deep understanding of your business operations and are likely familiar with your computer systems, providing valuable insights into essential business processes. Equipping these employees with the skills necessary for IBM i development not only addresses the talent shortage but also underscores your dedication to nurturing internal talent and cultivating an environment that encourages ongoing learning and personal growth.

Recent College Graduates

Recent IT graduates are enthusiastic about launching their careers and possess proficiency in various programming languages. These young developers can introduce fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to your existing systems. Leveraging their contemporary programming skills, they can collaborate with your current development team to become acquainted with your business applications. Additionally, they can undergo formal training to become proficient in the IBM i platform, contributing to the modernization and evolution of your IT infrastructure.

Professionals Looking for a Career Change

Recruiting and training professionals transitioning from different careers to enter the field of IT is another effective strategy. Such candidates often bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to the table. With online training from imPower Technologies and mentorship, these career changers can quickly become proficient in IBM i development, leveraging their unique perspectives to drive innovation and adaptability within the organization.

Online Courses Expertly Designed with Your Needs in Mind

imPower Technologies supports these strategic hiring practices through self-paced online courses. Whether your new hire or internal recruit has some programming experience or none, our courses serve as an effective way to educate and inspire your team.

Designed by Jim Buck with over 35 years of IT experience, imPower’s courses maximize proficiency and emphasize accountability through videos, quizzes, lab assignments and progress reports. Both employers and past students rave about imPower’s courses:

Employer

Matt Rhodes, IT manager at Sierra Pacific Industries:

It is challenging to recruit and hire qualified programmers with RPG experience on the IBM i platform. At Sierra Pacific Industries, we have been successful at hiring programmers with a solid background in application development and training them to be RPG programmers. The classes provided by imPower Technologies and taught by Jim have been instrumental in the training process.

Student

Brian Dean, software engineer at AgVantage Software:

My manager found imPOWER Technologies because our company needed an asynchronous learning platform that would offer the opportunity to learn ILE RPG when it fit into our schedule. I come from a web development background, and RPG could have been intimidating, but after Jim’s nine-week course, I feel confident I am able to take on an RPG project at my company and make sense of the legacy, fixed-format code my company still has on the system.

imPower’s Online Programming Courses

imPower Technologies developed four self-paced, instructor-led courses to get new and seasoned developers up to speed in no time.

From the foundations…

IBM i Concepts & Operations:

General intro to the IBM i operating system
Maximum of 8 weeks

Programming in ILE RPG:

Latest RPG techniques and other modern languages
Maximum of 10 weeks

…to modern skills

RDi & Modular Programming Workshop:

RDi Development tool and latest RPG concepts
Maximum of 2 weeks

SQL Queries Workshop:

IBM i ACS - Run SQL Scripts
Maximum of 2 weeks

Case Studies

Case Study #1: Manhattan Life

ManhattanLife, a longstanding insurance company, faced a challenge as newer generations of IT professionals lacked familiarity with IBM systems. To bridge this gap, they devised a strategy to train and mentor their staff in IBM systems and business practices. imPower Technologies provided comprehensive training in RPG and RDi, enabling both new and seasoned programmers to acquire crucial skills. The digital course included video instruction, quizzes and lab exercises, resulting in a 100% training completion rate. This approach not only increased employee productivity but also fostered teamwork and communication. ManhattanLife plans to continue this training model as they expand, ensuring their competitiveness in the marketplace.

“Our employees perform all kinds of things they couldn’t do before. Previously, they didn’t even know what an IBM i was; now they’re able to be very productive coders on the system,” Parsons said.

Case Study #2: Burgers’ Smokehouse

Burgers’ Smokehouse, a meat product manufacturing company, faced challenges in hiring and training IBM i RPG developers due to the rural location of their business. They turned to imPower Technologies for a solution, enrolling their new developers in comprehensive IBM i and RPG programming courses. The hands-on approach, structured curriculum and accountability measures proved effective, with both developers completing the course and gaining proficiency in RPG and IBM i. The training not only prepared them for RPG development but also enhanced their skills beyond what was expected. Allan Mortenson, VP of information technology, found imPower's training invaluable and highly recommends it for new RPG developers."

“It is difficult to put an ROI on the training classes, but I can tell from the results that there is a definite positive result that could not be achieved without the imPower training,” Allan shared. “imPower has made [my new recruits] viable, productive RPGLE developers that have the ability to do just about anything on the IBM i.”

Download these case studies (PDF)

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