i2040 — Succession planning for your IBM i development team
RPG · ILE · COBOL · DB2 · 3-month Bootcamp · 5-year Programme
Not a course. A complete managed service: we identify the right profiles, train them from scratch on your exact IBM i stack, and support them for 5 years. Because the IBM i skills shortage is not solved with a PDF.
Watch the overview
What exactly is the i2040 programme?
We explain it in a few minutes: why we created it, how each phase works, and which organisations benefit. If you run IBM i in production and your most senior RPG developers are approaching retirement, this video is for you.
Talk to us about your situationThe real problem
Are your RPG developers retiring in the next 5 years?
No pipeline in the market
No bootcamp or university teaches RPG or ILE. Hiring an experienced IBM i developer is nearly impossible — and prohibitively expensive when you find one.
Outsourcing creates technical debt
Paying third parties generates code nobody on your team understands or can maintain. The long-term cost becomes unsustainable.
Generic training takes too long
A general developer takes 2–3 years to become productive on IBM i. Without structure, a real environment and mentorship, that timeline becomes attrition.
Why now
The IBM i skills shortage is already here
The ageing IBM i developer base across Europe is a documented problem. According to Fortra's 2026 IBM i Marketplace Survey, skills shortage has overtaken cybersecurity as the number one concern at 69%. Most organisations have no succession plan. i2040 exists precisely for that.
Average age
Average age of an IBM i developer in Europe. The junior pipeline simply does not exist.
Bootcamps teaching RPG
No mainstream bootcamp trains in RPG or ILE. i2040 is the only dedicated programme.
Of accompaniment
Continuous mentoring, advanced mini-bootcamps and L3 support in production for 5 years.
Also looking for IBM Power infrastructure training? Explore our AIX courses and our full range of IBM training.
The i2040 solution
From zero to productive IBM i developer in 12 months
A 4-phase programme covering candidate selection, intensive training, mentoring and expert technical support for 5 years.
Candidate selection
We identify candidates with genuine motivation and cultural fit. We also run the reverse process for top students seeking IBM i careers.
Pre-training & screening
Software engineering fundamentals, introduction to IBM Power, and assessments to identify the highest-potential profiles before the bootcamp.
Exclusive i2040 Bootcamp — 3 months
RPG free-format, ILE, DB2, COBOL, Web Query, Python, JavaScript on IBM i. Updated and adapted to your exact stack. See also: IBM Informix training and Ceph Storage.
Mentoring + L3 Support — up to 5 years
Advanced mini-bootcamps, production code reviews and direct access to our IBM i specialists.
Bootcamp technologies
In 3 years, your developers will be able to
IBM i Developer
Digital credential issued by SIXE via Credly. Verifiable and shareable.
Certification included
SIXE verified badges: credentials that matter
Every graduate of the programme receives an official digital badge issued by SIXE through Credly — verifiable, shareable and designed to demonstrate real IBM i competencies.
Why SIXE
Over 25 years training IBM i experts
We are not a generalist training academy. We are active IBM i consultants who also train. That makes all the difference in technical depth and real-production orientation.
Years training in IBM
We have trained many of today's IBM i experts across Spain and Europe. We didn't start yesterday.
Real production code
Exercises are patterns and problems from active IBM i projects. No invented scenarios.
Years of commitment
Other programmes end. This one doesn't. Minimum 3 years, recommended 5, with continuous mentoring and technical support.
Better ROI, mid-term
The total cost of i2040 is lower than years of outsourcing or hiring a senior developer at market rates.
Lower staff turnover
A developer mentored from day one with a defined career path has far more reasons to stay.
Expertise beyond code
PowerVM, Ceph, Red Hat, SUSE, cloud. That know-how transfers in every mentoring session.
Who is it for?
Organisations where IBM i is business-critical
Financial sector
Banking & Insurance
Core banking, transaction processing and critical reporting on AS/400 or IBM i
Logistics
Distribution & Supply Chain
Proprietary ERP, warehouse management and supply chain on IBM i
Healthcare
Health & Pharma
Hospital systems and pharmaceutical manufacturing with decades of IBM i investment
Public sector
Government & Administration
Tax management, land registry, pensions and social benefits on iSeries
FAQ
Questions we always get asked
Anything else? Write to us on WhatsApp or from the contact form.
How long before a trainee is productive?
Do they need programming experience before the bootcamp?
Is the programme adapted to our specific IBM i environment?
How does the L3 support work over 5 years?
Are there other ways to earn a badge?
Is it available in any country?
Shall we talk about your IBM i succession plan?
Tell us how many IBM i developers you have, when you expect the first retirements and what technologies you use. First call, no commitment.
