Mainframe Succession Planning Matters

Every business has a plan for when systems go down, but what about a plan for the people who keep those systems running? In enterprise technology, long-term resilience isn’t just about infrastructure uptime. It’s about sustained human capability and the foresight to invest in it.

The narrative of a “mainframe skills crisis” breaks down under scrutiny. There isn’t a lack of talent or training — in fact, programmes like IBM Z Xplore, Broadcom Vitality, ProTech Training, Interskill Learning and the Open Mainframe Project are available. But these platforms are often overlooked, underfunded or sidelined when budgets are tight.

What’s missing is structure. Training budgets are often the first to go, there’s rarely clear ownership of workforce continuity and outdated messaging portraying mainframe as “legacy tech” doesn’t inspire new recruits or give existing teams confidence.

CCS Insight interviewed several organizations with long-standing mainframe environments to see how they approached succession, if at all. Some had solid strategies; others relied on more-informal workarounds that didn’t always hold up. Across the board, we saw common challenges — and some practical ways to overcome them.

In a free report, we offer an evidence-based guide to succession planning for mainframe environments. It includes real-world examples, strategic tips and a framework to help leaders see continuity planning not as a cost, but as an opportunity for long-term growth.

Read the report on CCS Insight Connect here.