Need a new way to build your tech talent pool?
Let's talk about apprenticeships.
Ready to start your IBM Z career?
Apply for our Pre-Apprenticeship.
Franklin Apprenticeships is proud to team with IBM to grow the talent pool for enterprise computing through IBM Z Mainframe System Administrator and Mainframe Application Developer Apprenticeship pathways. IBM Z Application Developers and System Administrators are in demand, with starting salaries that are higher than many college graduates. This one-of-a-kind training program provides candidates with unique skills sought after by Fortune 1000 companies, nationwide. The IBM Z platform is critical to large-scale enterprise success and meeting the world’s ever-changing digital business demands, delivering core services for cloud and hybrid cloud environments, and supporting mission-critical transactions. Many business-critical systems in the world economy depend on data that resides on IBM z/OS, which is why companies nationwide are building their own diverse, highly-motivated talent pools with IBM Z Apprenticeships.
Need a new way to build your tech talent pool?
Let's talk about apprenticeships.
Ready to start your IBM Z career?
Apply for our Pre-Apprenticeship.
of US top retailers, world’s largest banks and world’s largest airlines rely on mainframe
IBM zSystems transactions are processed per second
of global production IT workloads run on mainframe systems
Average starting salary for enterprise computing roles
Employers competing for these roles
Sources: Lightcast Database Administrators, Occupation Data, Jan - Dec 2021; IBM 2022.
You are an IBM enterprise computing client with an in-house IBM z/OS team.
Your company is dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion in tech.
You are ready for a long-term solution to build your own IBM Z talent pool.
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The Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship program introduces new IT professionals to the intricacies of networking concepts, network infrastructure, network operations, network security, and network troubleshooting. Pre-Apprentices learn about various components of IT networks that range from operation policies and procedures, migration techniques, and network topology. Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship graduates are prepared to take the CompTIA Network+ certification. They are also ready for an entry-level IT role, including full-time apprenticeship opportunities with Franklin clients.
Our Pre-Apprenticeships offer self-directed learning, which means pre-apprentices go at their own pace, and receive support via an exclusive Slack messaging channel and group coaching with Franklin Professional Success Coaches.
After completing the Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates then become qualified to interview for Help Desk Apprenticeships with Franklin’s employers for in-person and virtual positions nationwide.
After completing Franklin’s Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates then become qualified for a Help Desk Technician Apprenticeship with Franklin’s employers, for in-person and virtual positions nationwide.
LEARN MOREAll Franklin Apprentices receive 1:1 support from a Professional Success Coach. Throughout their apprenticeship, apprentices can access their Coaches via virtual weekly meetings and email.
The Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship program introduces new IT professionals to the intricacies of networking concepts, network infrastructure, network operations, network security, and network troubleshooting. Pre-Apprentices learn about various components of IT networks that range from operation policies and procedures, migration techniques, and network topology. Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship graduates are prepared to take the CompTIA Network+ certification. They are also ready for an entry-level IT role, including full-time apprenticeship opportunities with Franklin clients.
LEARN MOREIn addition to virtual, self-directed training, Pre-Apprentices have access to an exclusive Slack messaging channel and group coaching with Franklin Professional Success Coaches.
The Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship program introduces new IT professionals to the intricacies of networking concepts, network infrastructure, network operations, network security, and network troubleshooting. The coursework covers various components of IT networks, ranging from operation policies and procedures to migration techniques and network topologies. The coursework prepares Pre-Apprenticeship graduates to take the CompTIA Network+ certification exam.
After completing the Networking and Technical Support Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates then become qualified to interview for Network Engineering Apprenticeships with Franklin’s employers for in-person and virtual positions nationwide.
LEARN MOREApprentices receive one-on-one weekly support from Franklin Success Coaches who collaborate with apprentices' managers and mentors monthly to ensure timely progress and success, in addition to Slack channel communications.
The Network Engineering Apprenticeship typically lasts about 12 months. Apprentices add value from the first day and become more productive every day as they learn on the job.
Franklin Apprenticeship’s Software Engineer Pre-Apprenticeship program is an online, self-paced learning environment for individuals to discover if this is the right career path for them. The Pre-Apprenticeship prepares candidates for an entry-level software engineering role and can lead to a full-time apprenticeship opportunity.
LEARN MOREFranklin pre-apprenticeships offer online, guided learning, which allows pre-apprentices to learn at their own pace. They receive support via an exclusive Slack messaging channel and group coaching with Franklin Professional Success Coaches.
The Software Engineering Pre-Apprenticeship consists of 87 hours of technical foundational training and 8 hours of professional skills development, including resume and interview preparation.
After completing the Software Engineering Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates then become qualified for a Software Engineering Apprenticeship with Franklin’s employers, for in-person and virtual positions nationwide.
LEARN MOREApprentices receive one-on-one weekly support from Franklin Success Coaches who collaborate with apprentices' managers and mentors monthly to ensure timely progress and success, in addition to Slack channel communications.
The Software Engineering Apprenticeship typically lasts about 12 months. Apprentices add value from the first day and become more productive every day as they learn on the job.
The IBM Z Pre-Apprenticeship program provides an online, self-paced learning environment for individuals to discover if this is the right career path for them. This program prepares individuals for an entry-level career on IBM z/OS, and can lead to a full-time apprenticeship opportunity with an IBM enterprise computing client.
LEARN MOREPre-Apprenticeships offer guided learning, which allows pre-apprentices learn virtually and at their own pace. They receive support via an exclusive Slack messaging channel and group coaching with Franklin Professional Success Coaches. They also have access to IBM Subject Matter Experts.
The IBM Z Pre-Apprenticeship consists of 105 hours of technical foundational training, professional skills development, including resume and interview preparation. This intensive four-course program focuses on computer science basics, IBM Z Xplore, z/OS commands, and system programming in preparation for an IBM Z apprenticeship program. IBM Z Pre-Apprenticeship graduates have satisfied multiple skill sets in Z Xplore concepts, professional skills, and enterprise design thinking.
After completing the IBM Z Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates qualify to interview with IBM’s employer clients for in-person and virtual apprenticeship positions nationwide. The IBM Z Mainframe System Administrator Apprenticeship is a structured, on-the-job learning program that supports individuals to become fully qualified within one year.
Graduates have demonstrated their ability to maintain system software and products running on a Mainframe as well as perform day-to-day operations of the environment.
Apprentices receive one-on-one weekly support from Franklin Professional Success Coaches throughout their entire program. Success Coaches collaborate with apprentices' managers and mentors monthly to ensure timely progress and success. IBM Subject Matter Experts are also available to apprentices during the program.
Franklin Apprenticeship’s Cybersecurity Pre-Apprenticeship program provides an online, self-paced learning environment for individuals to discover if this is the right career path for them. The Pre-Apprenticeship prepares individuals for an entry-level career in tech and can lead to a full-time apprenticeship opportunity.
LEARN MOREOur pre-apprenticeships offer guided learning, which means pre-apprentices learn at their own pace and receive support via an exclusive Slack messaging channel and group coaching with Franklin Professional Success Coaches.
Cybersecurity Pre-Apprentices complete an intensive 90+ hour foundational cybersecurity course to prepare them to be successful in a cybersecurity apprenticeship or entry-level cybersecurity role. They have developed foundational competencies in cybersecurity operating systems security, compliance frameworks, database vulnerabilities, and the basics of Agile methodologies. They have also developed professional skills including communications, problem-solving and critical thinking.
After completing the Cybersecurity Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates then become qualified for a Cybersecurity Apprenticeship with Franklin’s employers, for in-person and virtual positions nationwide. The Cybersecurity Apprenticeship typically lasts 18 months.
LEARN MOREApprentices receive one-on-one weekly support from Franklin Professional Success Coaches throughout their entire program. Success Coaches collaborate with apprentices' managers and mentors monthly to ensure timely progress and success. Subject Matter Experts are also available to apprentices during the program.
After completing the IBM Z Pre-Apprenticeship, candidates are qualified to interview for IBM Z Application Developer Apprenticeships with Franklin employers nationwide. Application Developer Apprenticeship graduates possess a solid knowledge of agile practices, software engineering fundamentals, DevOps, and cloud computing platforms, services, and solutions.
LEARN MOREApprentices receive one-on-one weekly support from Franklin Professional Success Coaches throughout their entire program. Success Coaches collaborate with apprentices' managers and mentors monthly to ensure timely progress and success. IBM Subject Matter Experts are also available to apprentices during the program.
Is your goal to get started in a tech career? Are you looking for a way to break into a new tech career path via an entry-level role? Read on for frequently asked questions and answers to help you make your decision.
LEARN MOREThis can vary a little by tech occupation. Help Desk Technicians for example need to be good problem solvers with great customer service skills. Software Developers need to be detail-oriented and precise. Some qualities like great communication, curiosity, analytical ability, and creativity are valuable in all tech jobs. Look at job postings to see what qualities employers are asking for people to demonstrate in their entry-level tech positions.
It is very true today to say that every company is a tech company! Banks, retailers, schools, hospitals, warehouses, manufacturing plants etc., they all need a tech infrastructure to run some or all their operations.
The median (middle of the range) salary for tech positions varies hugely. For Help Desk positions it is around $50,000 annually while for Cybersecurity it can be over $100,000. Most of Franklin’s apprentices start on a salary of around $50,000 and quickly progress beyond that in the first year of their employment as an apprentice.
Franklin's Pre-Apprenticeships are structured technical and professional training programs, which give you a chance to find out if a full-time tech career is right for you. Graduating from your Pre-Apprenticeship can put you in a position to interview for full-time apprenticeships with Franklin’s clients. If you’re hired (no job is ever guaranteed), you will be well prepared to hit the ground running in an IT apprenticeship role with a starting salary that is higher than many college graduates.
LEARN MOREOur Pre-Apprenticeships do not require any previous training or experience in tech. To qualify for our program, you need:
1. To have a High School Diploma or equivalent
2. To be 18 years+
3. To be Legal to work in the United States
4. To match to a Franklin tech occupation in our Career Fit Assessment.
Franklin offers training programs for high-demand tech roles in several tech occupations. Typical activities are different depending on which tech pathway you choose.
That’s why we’ve put together an eBook: LEVEL UP your tech talent in Financial Services. It explains how, by finding and nurturing hidden gems from previously underrepresented groups, you can supercharge your tech teams with fresh talent – laying the foundations for the diverse and future-fit pipeline your organization needs.
Read MoreAt Franklin, we combine a flexible approach and experience working with 30+ Fortune 500 employers and global companies. In partnership with us, you can open up a whole new recruitment path, building your productive IT teams of tomorrow by leveraging the proven Franklin model, supported by our Professional Success Coaches.
Inside this easily digestible guide, you can find out more about the Franklin approach. Read about the transformative power to:
Included is a letter addressing Financial Services companies just like yours, from our Founder and CEO, Kimberly Nichols, who says:
At Franklin Apprenticeships, we believe the way forward is embracing a new approach to filling key tech jobs with motivated and capable talent… Our coaching levels the playing field by helping both new employees and their managers to succeed.”
When organizations LEVEL UP their workforce, their numbers go up too! Barriers to inclusion have dogged U.S. industry for too long – none more so than Financial Services. This holds back progress in society, productivity and therefore the entire economy. It’s not about ticking boxes; diversity is simply good business sense.
Read MoreInclusion raises retention and eases recruitment, with workers 47% more likely to stay in organizations that are inclusive, while 39% of job seekers say they are more likely to turn down an opportunity where they perceive a lack of diversity.*
Businesses want to innovate, to drive productivity and growth – while tried and tested thinking only sees the same ground covered, for slow and steady progress at best. You need the fresh ideas of employees who bring different life experiences, and so approach problems in unique ways, challenging traditional approaches and tired methodologies.
That’s where an alternative talent source via tech apprenticeships comes in.
Franklin Apprenticeships’ current programs
In addition to our foundational content, optional curriculum and certifications allow employers to select modules for their apprenticeship programs, tailoring programs to fit their requirements.
Under-representation is inherently wasteful. Across the U.S., Black or African American workers represent 12% of the total workforce, but only 8% of tech occupations; for Hispanics, the figures are 16% and 8%. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that women make up 46% of the U.S. workforce, yet only occupy 26% of these roles.**
As a women-owned and -founded business, Franklin Apprenticeships is proud to be opening up opportunities and helping to prevent talent going to waste. With 91% of our apprentices from communities under-represented in tech roles, we see sky-high potential and enthusiasm, and integration into corporate environments – supported by our Professional Success Coaches – every day.
Just because someone doesn’t have the experience, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have the drive or the learning aptitude to pick up something new. My Franklin Apprenticeship changed my life.”– Dahir J, Franklin Apprenticeships graduate, Help Desk
When your competition is unleashing the power of previously untapped talent, you risk being left behind if you don’t widen your own recruitment practices. So, embrace the possibilities offered by an alternative to the traditional influx of computer science college graduates – who will always need on-the-job training themselves, in any case!
*Source: McKinsey – Unlocking the potential of chief diversity offices
**Source: CompTIA – Cyberstates State of the Tech Workforce 2022
Source: Source: Lightcast Database Administrators, Occupation Data, Jan - Dec 2021.
IBM, the IBM logo, and IBM Z are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on www.ibm.com/trademark