>> UC, Column 72 to offer industry-based, paid learning program signing ceremony
Antony Perry
24 July 2018: The University of Canberra has partnered with Column 72 Pty Ltd to establish a new program which will see aspiring IT professionals placed in the workforce for the duration of their studies.
L to R: Fabiana Santana – Head of the School of Information Technology and Systems; Blooma Johns – Assistant Professor – Program Director – Information Systems; Deep Saini – Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra; Dr Murray Woods – Co-Director Column 72; Professor Dharmendra Sharma – Chair of University Academic Board and Professor of Computer Science; Professor Nick Klomp – Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Academic; Yohan Ramasundara IP Australia, Assistant General Manager and President of Australian Computer Society; Paul Matthews, Co-Director Column 72; Professor Elisa Martinez Marroquin, Executive Dean (acting), Faculty of Science and Technology; Michel de Leeuwe – a/g Director, Mainframe Engineering Services, ICT Infrastructure Division, Department of Human Services; Glenn Bowden – Service Owner – Mainframe, Infrastructure Platform Services, Technology, Westpac Banking Group; Amanda Garland, Client Director IBM A/NZ
The Mainframe Trainee Program is a ground-breaking initiative that combines traditional university study with three years of practical learning to ensure students are industry-ready when they graduate.
At the core of the program is the newly-developed Bachelor of Information and Mainframe Technology.
Through a mix of face-to-face and online learning, students will learn about the technical and programming job roles for IBM Z® – the world’s most advanced hardware and transaction processing platform – while undertaking full-time work as a trainee in that environment.
Column 72 co-Director Murray Woods, left, and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Deep Saini at the launch of the Mainframe Trainee Program. Photo: Antony Perry
Participants in the program will be paid an attractive salary and conditions so they graduate with no fee debt and three years of practical experience.
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deep Saini said students would develop the traditional skills required in the contemporary mainframe environment as well as the ability to navigate future technologies.
“The University of Canberra is pleased to partner with Column 72 to deliver this unique industry-based learning initiative,” Professor Saini said.
“The Mainframe Trainee Program is both academically sound and practical to meet industry needs and ensure that graduates are confident to handle complex problems of the future.
“Students will complement their classroom learning with on-the-job experience at some of the biggest organisations in Canberra and around the country.
“This complete work-integrated learning experience is the latest example of the University’s ongoing commitment to providing students with high-quality, industry-based learning opportunities.”
The IBM mainframe architecture is synonymous with security and performance to the extent that it has always been the platform of choice for major corporations and government agencies across the globe.
IBM Z is building on that legacy with more diverse services to address the emerging disruptive technologies that are changing the way organisations relate to clients.
Column 72 Director Murray Woods said students would be able to manage complex mainframe environments and handle challenges in the industry at the end of their studies.
“I look forward to watching the trainees learn at the University and progress with their sponsoring employers during this dynamic, emerging and rapidly evolving time in the IBM Z space,” Dr Woods said.
Column 72 co-Director Paul Matthews added: “The program will introduce the next generation of IT professionals to the IBM Z platform. The skills they’ll develop will be in demand for as long as the industry demands leading-edge software when it comes to performance and security.”
To be eligible for the program, applicants must have a Diploma of IT from TAFE or be in the first year of an IT degree at an Australian university. People can register their interest at column72.com or with the University. Successful applicants will begin the Mainframe Trainee Program in December.
>> Column 72
SCP is extremely pleased to announce its Business Partnership with Column 72, which has been founded to answer one simple IBM Z® mainframe customers question:
“What staff will I have available to run my mainframe in the future?”
So, Column 72 will deliver advanced tertiary education to IBM System Z® (mainframe) customers, in collaboration with the University of Canberra.
www.column72.com
>> eProjects Panel for South Australia Department of Treasury and Finance.
SCP is very pleased to announce becoming a supplier on the eProjects Panel for South Australia Department of Treasury and Finance. This may provide SCP the opportunity to be commissioned to supply to SCP’s key strengths, which are based on many years of practical experience implementing emerging technologies and accelerating lead times to generate increasing revenue streams for SA Government.
>> ACTA Honorary Membership
Paul Matthews was invited to attend the 2013 Consensus Software Awards dinner on Tuesday 30th April, where he was presented with an Honorary Membership of the Australian Consensus Technology Association (ACTA) for his previous Consensus IT Professional Award, which was awarded for his lifetime as a IBM Mainframe (now IBM® z14) Specialist and founder of several successful IT services companies.
