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

Finding qualified RPG developers is becoming increasingly difficult as experienced professionals retire and take decades of institutional knowledge with them, while fewer IT professionals are exposed to the IBM i in colleges. But what if the solution isn't only in the traditional job market?

Instead of focusing solely on experienced RPG developers, IBM i shops can tap into unconventional hiring practices and invest in growing talent from within or seek new sources. By exploring options like internal hires interested in learning RPG, college grads from diverse coding backgrounds and mid-career professionals eager for a change, organizations can cultivate a new generation of IBM i experts.

Explore the top three places to look for RPG developers:

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.

Apprenticeships and new-hire training programs are an excellent way to quickly get new or internal hires up to speed on IBM i. By offering hands-on learning opportunities, these programs allow trainees to build practical skills while working directly with experienced developers. This approach not only accelerates their learning curve but also helps bridge the knowledge gap in RPG and IBM i environments. Partner with experts in IBM i and RPG training like imPower Technologies to manage the training program with online, self-paced courses.

Apprenticeships and new hire training programs are an excellent way to quickly get new or internal hires up to speed on IBM i. By offering hands-on learning opportunities, these programs allow trainees to build practical skills while working directly with experienced developers. This approach not only accelerates their learning curve but also helps bridge the knowledge gap in RPG and IBM i environments. Partner with experts in IBM i and RPG training like imPower Technologies to manage the training program with online, self-paced courses.

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:

STUDENT

Benjamin Schneider, IT Manager at Murray Equipment INC

I was hired to help our company with IT and ERP. My background was with other software and had limited experience with IBM products. In order to better serve the team of programmers that report to me and the company I work for I was asked to take this RPG class provided by Jim. Having zero experience in programming I was a bit intimidated, but now can see I unnecessarily put pressure on myself. The class was challenging but was fair and gives every opportunity to succeed. It provides a great balance between granular dives into syntax and overview of each subject you might run into in your career with RPG. As a foundation, this is a great place to start if you want to be a programmer. You will get exposed in some way to everything you will come across in your role and then some… Jim seems like he really cares about his students as well.

Student

Michelle Worley, Programmer Analyst at HarrisData

Twenty-three years ago I left behind my career in programming to fulfill my duties as mother to our growing family. I had been keeping an eye on job opportunities since 2020, but just didn’t see any way to convince an employer that I was a viable candidate for a programmer position. This past summer, I reached out to imPower in hopes of taking a refresher course in RPG. I met Jim and Michelle in an online meeting. They both were very supportive. In fact, this is an understatement. They had more confidence in me than anybody I knew personally, and actually used their connections in the business to find me a job prospect.

“I have been with HarrisData since early October 2023 and recently completed the imPower course on RPG ILE. It was perfect for my needs, teaching many new aspects of the language that I had no experience with while reminding me the way things used to be. The book is a wonderful reference to have on-hand, the quizzes were low-pressure and helped reinforce important concepts, and the programming assignments stressed quality with focus on logical process, efficiency, readability of code and proper error handling techniques, which any employer will appreciate.

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.” —David Parsons, Senior VP of IT at ManhattanLife

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,” Mortenson 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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