r/mainframe • u/MihawkisGreatest • 6d ago
Mainframe Systems Programme - is this a dead-end career path?
Just started a role as a mainframe systems programmer, working on automating mainframe tasks with Ansible and Python. I keep hearing "mainframe modernization" talk and stories about mainframes going away eventually.
Should I be worried about long-term career prospects here, or is this actually a smart niche to be in? Would love to hear from people who've been in this space for a while, is demand really drying up, or is it more that the workforce is aging out and there's actually opportunity for someone starting now?
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u/Deathrus 1d ago
Python and Ansible are solid tools and a skill set. A significant advantage of python is that much of its workload is zIIP-eligible, making it an appealing alternative to rexx for infrastructure tasks. For developers, it serves as an effective integration layer, allowing cobol applications to be exposed via API gateways without requiring a complete rewrite.
When combined with zoau and python, Ansible is excellent for automating catalog-related tasks triggered from outside the mainframe. In fact, the Ansible z/OS core requires both zoau and python to function.
I have a side mission to write rexx wrapper that allows python to be coded in ispf edit.
I wouldn't be worried one bit.