In an era when technological skills become extinct overnight, the need for ongoing training is overwhelming but, remarkably, usually overlooked. The result is that IT departments usually find themselves with an aging workforce unfamiliar with emerging trends. The problem is particularly prevalent in AS/400 shops where even RPG IV code resembles its immediate RPG III predecessor or RPG II grandparent. This both limits the scope of new application development and makes it difficult to recruit programmers capable of maintaining legacy code.
Continuing education for AS/400 programmers is vital. There is no myopia among those responsible for developing and maintaining code that drives business applications. The experienced AS/400 programmer knows the direction IBM and the industry at large are taking; it affects everything from manufacturing and distribution to financial services and e- business. Unfortunately, many shops lack more modern RPG experience. Some organizations are enamored by the growing movement toward Java but have no indigenous resources to draw from. This results in IT departments that fall behind the rest of the industry.
Training your people in new technologies and modern languages is easier and cheaper than making the investment and time required to locate and hire experienced programmers. Unfortunately, too few shops seem to be doing the former; some would rather bring in fresh talent that already have the stylish skills. Others remain loyal to their people but retain their development approach, keeping both their staff and their systems archaic.
One IT director from a Dallas, Texas-area staffing firm was recently forced by management to migrate existing applications from a System/38 environment to the AS/400 without modernizing the native RPG code. His biggest difficulty was hiring people experienced with the system. Study available source from popular third-party products. You will discover that much of it is written with nothing better than RPG III syntax. As the evolution of programmers continues, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain these products.
Why do so many firms fail to train their people effectively? Cost and fear are the primary reasons. The best training classes cost a great deal of money, but budget constraints block many IT managers from investing in people. Even if they do allow for a few training seminars, some managers fear losing programmers who may decide to take their new skills to new companies.
While that does happen occasionally, it is reasonably certain that most people will appreciate the investment in them and respond with more loyalty and better effort. If no investment is made, the opposite may be true. If programmers find it difficult to improve in one place, they may move to another, and that knowledge base will be lost.
Ultimately, companies need to acquire the wisdom to train existing staff. Enhanced knowledge is an asset, but where do you start? Begin by reviewing your current employee development plan. If you do not have one, put one on paper. If you have one but it appears weak, improve it. There are too many educational options available, and there is no excuse for failing to explore them. The argument that you need a tangible, measurable return on training investment is invalid. The result of your decision to invest in your staff is more content and productive employees. This represents tremendous, immeasurable value to your organization.
You can bring in lecturers or invest in computer-based training, but the best option is to send your people to seminars and workshops. While likely the most expensive choice, it is consistently the most successful. Check the Internet. You will find countless user groups and training centers where you can learn from top AS/400 professionals. There is no substitute for hands-on instruction from an expert.
Making training opportunities accessible and budgeting for them is well worth it. You may even develop an industrywide reputation for employee development that will aid in recruiting top talent. If you already invest in your people, congratulate yourself. If not, the best decision you can make is to begin now.
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
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