Rocket Teams with Framingham State University to Offer Mainframe Degree

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Software is proud to continue its efforts with Framingham State University to offer students a minor degree in Enterprise Systems and a five-course Enterprise Systems Certificate Program. Mainframe industry professionals developed the minor and certificate programs and will also teach the courses.

"Industry has spoken when it comes to the skills that they are looking for in university graduates. They want professional hires who are familiar with enterprise computing skills and can be productive almost immediately," stated Bryan Smith, Vice President of R&D and Chief Technology Officer at Rocket. "Many fiduciary companies like Fidelity Investments rely on mainframes to securely and efficiently handle massive amounts of data, and the Enterprise Certificate Program is one step we're taking to help professionals get the skills they need for these in-demand jobs." Rocket helped Framingham State University see the value in such a program by bringing their computer science department together with IBM and local industry leaders. Rocket also supplied the first adjunct professor to this program.

"The Enterprise Certificate Program will be a great way for our students to find work after graduating," noted Conny Breuning, chair of Framingham State's Computer Science Department. "Demand for these jobs is so high, alumni with a minor or certificate can get rewarding jobs in the field without the cutthroat competition you'd see for positions in mobile or data scientist positions."

IBM, a Rocket Business Partner, is contributing expertise to the technical skills curriculum, as well as technology resources to the program. The IBM Academic Initiative for z Systems, which aims to help meet the growing global demand for top technical talent, has for many years, provided curricula to universities to teach z Systems technical content. This new initiative with Framingham State will focus on the critical role the mainframe plays in many Fortune 500 companies around the world in powering critical workloads such as transaction processing. In addition, the students in Framingham State's program will have virtual access to a z Systems mainframe made available through the Academic Initiative to access the curriculum and hands-on workshops in their courses.

"As companies depend on the speed, scalability and security of the mainframe, they are prioritizing finding skilled professionals to continue innovating on the system," said Meredith Stowell, Director, z/OS ISVs, Community Engagement and Skills, IBM. "This work with Framingham State shows how, when we bring together a university, an industry partner and IBM to respond to the interest of students who recognize the opportunities the IBM mainframe represents, it truly creates the winning conditions to drive needed skills into the market and quickly place students in jobs upon graduation."  

About Rocket Software 
Rocket Software (www.rocketsoftware.com) is a technology company that helps organizations in the IBM ecosystem build solutions that meet today's needs while extending the value of their technology investments for the future. Thousands of companies depend on Rocket to solve their most challenging business problems by helping them run their existing infrastructure and data, as well as extend those assets to take advantage of cloud, mobile, analytics, and other future innovations. Founded in 1990, Rocket is based in Waltham, Massachusetts with locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

About Framingham State University
Framingham State University provides small, personalized classes on a beautiful and traditional New England campus, located just 20 miles west of Boston in the heart of the MetroWest corridor. As a public university, Framingham State prides itself on its quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students. Student success is central to the mission of the University. Many options are available for student support, including programs to help freshmen transition to the University. The University also has a well-developed honors program for exceptional students and is home to several centers and institutes.

Press Contacts: 
Richard Berman
VerbFactory for Rocket Software
[email protected], 415-359-4906

Dan Magazu
Communication Director, Framingham State University
[email protected], 508-626-4539

SOURCE Rocket Software

Related Links

http://www.rocketsoftware.com