Locked out of a Return to UK job

[cojak]

He’s never considered reskilling?

Get him to look at Cloud technology - he’ll be surprised at how much he’d recognise.

[Tightfit]

We use them. Can he program?

Only the IBM Job Control Language ( JCL ), batch job scripts.
He's also worked on I-Series, AS400 machines but again in the
same roles and the only other job scheduling systems he's used,
before his present job, is BMC Control M both the Windows
GUI interface, scheduler as well as the Mainframe 3270 interface
version of Control M.
Before that he started out working as a Senior Computer Operator
before becoming a Systems Batch Operator using the CA7 job
scheduler, although not to the same depth of knowledge as he
acquired in TWS/OPC and Control M.

Therefore the roles he's most suited for are Ops Analyst job scheduler
roles or returning back to being a Systems Batch Operator again on
mainframes.

[MyUserName]

on IBM mainframes using
TWS, OPC, he would be interested.

We use them. Can he program?

[Scruff]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feedback, so yes retail or the Insurance companies
are an idea, for my cousin and funnily enough, he was living in
the Southampton area before moving to Spain.
If the poster is serious about mainframe posts in say the Ops
Analyst or Batch Operator roles, on IBM mainframes using
TWS, OPC, he would be interested.

Although from what he says and what I've noticed, is the Insurance
companies and Retail companies, rarely have any vacancies
in his field of work.

Anyway thanks for the tips.

https://www.jlpjobs.com/search-jobs/

[Tightfit]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feedback, so yes retail or the Insurance companies
are an idea, for my cousin and funnily enough, he was living in
the Southampton area before moving to Spain.
If the poster is serious about mainframe posts in say the Ops
Analyst or Batch Operator roles, on IBM mainframes using
TWS, OPC, he would be interested.

Although from what he says and what I've noticed, is the Insurance
companies and Retail companies, rarely have any vacancies
in his field of work.

Anyway thanks for the tips.

[coolhandluke]

Next have a large mainframe department

[MyUserName]

Is he interested in working in the Southampton area? If so, we might be interested in hiring him.

[uk contractor]

He will not even easily get an entry level service desk or help desk role in the UK as all those nationalities you mention & a whole lot more are handling those now as well for peanuts! Most IT hard luck stories involve UK citizens being left high & dry by globalisation, outsourcing & the race to the bottom of the rate card!!

[Scruff]

John Lewis
Waitrose
Insurance Companies

These are just a few Industries outside of the aforementioned sectors who run IBM Mainframes...

[Tightfit]

Hi,

Looks like my cousin, who's been working in Spain for the past five years and comes from a legacy systems IBM mainframe background has found himself locked out of any Mainframe jobs in the UK because of what I would call the perfect Catch-22 situation.

Namely as we all know, thanks to globalisation and the outsourcing and offshoring of many IT jobs to India, South Africa, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc. Many mainframe jobs that could be off-shored were moved to these ( low cost ) offshore areas over the past 15 to 20 years
Meaning that the only real mainframe jobs that survived offshoring in the UK were largely the British banks, Barclays, RBS, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, etc, etc and Government departments for eg DWP up in Newcastle and of course anything defense related and here were talking of the likes of BAE Systems and Rolls Royce.

Now although he has the perfect background and experience for many of the aforementioned mainframe jobs in the UK. He cannot get a job with any of the Government departments or Outsourcing companies handling government and defense related client systems because - Candidate must have or be eligible for SC Security clearance and therefore must be resident in the UK for the past 5 years and for the Banks and financial services mainframe jobs. Preferred candidate must come from a financial services background and undergo vetting through referencing the Credit Reference Agencies and the usual Police CRB checks.
Although he can get a Police certificate from the Spanish Police, detailing he has a clean record, the Credit Reference Agency check seems to be a stumbling block for him as he hasn't been permanently resident in the UK for the past 5 years.

Which is a shame really, as he's really bright in his 30's, left University with several degrees with a wonderful family and yet he finds himself 'locked out' of any possibility' of returning to his chosen vocation ( which he's been doing in Spain ) back in the UK.
Obviously he's a permie and would dearly like to continue his career if he was ever given the opportunity in his home country but to be honest, I cannot see him ever returning back to an IBM Operations Analyst job in the UK, due to the aforementioned obstacles and so it, looks like he would have to start at the bottom & work his way up again, starting in a Help Desk or Service Desk role ( but away from mainframe of course )

Maybe the rest of you guys have come across similar - hard luck stories in your travels ?