There have been reports of a mainframe skills shortage by research firms in recent years. Upon closer inspection, this appears to be an urban myth. Evidence suggests that there is no mainframe skills shortage and that demand for skills continues to be met by new graduates.
The Myth of a Skills Shortage
Research firms such as Gartner1 have proposed that the ageing of the current cohort of mainframe engineers will lead to a shortage of mainframe skills for organizations. The conclusion is that organizations should shift to other platforms in preparation.
Evidence Against a Mainframe Skills Shortage
However, other commentators have argued that there is little evidence of this mainframe skills shortage. IT departments, IT recruiters, students, academics, and IT companies continue to see growth in mainframe training.
Anecdotal evidence has shown that mainframe training and demand for mainframe curriculum's by students is growing. Recent graduates are working in mainframe areas, which are continuing to pay well. Hence it appears that a skills shortage in mainframe-related areas is a myth, as new students continue to be trained and graduates are finding jobs in these areas.
[1]https://www.share.org/p/bl/et/blogid=2&blogaid=235