📅 Date: April 8th, 2025
📍 Location: Barclays Technology Centre, Radbroke, Knutsford WA16 9EU
🎟 Limited Capacity: 80 Attendees | 💰 Free to Attend (Lunch & Refreshments Provided)

🚀 About the Event

The WAVEZ Spring 2025 Networking & Learning Event is a dedicated event for those in the first 0-7 years of their mainframe careers, including students, graduates, and early-career professionals. This is an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with peers and industry professionals in IBM Z.

As the mainframe industry evolves, we’re seeing an increasing number of retirements—meaning technical knowledge and professional networks are disappearing. WAVEZ exists to preserve and pass on this ethos to the next generation, ensuring you have the connections and skills to thrive in the industry.

🌟 Why Attend?

The WAVEZ Spring 2025 Networking & Learning Event is specifically designed for early-career mainframers (0-7 years in the industry), students, and recent graduates looking to grow their knowledge and build connections that will last throughout their mainframe careers.

✅ Build Your Network for the Future – The mainframe community isn’t siloed within a single organization. By connecting with peers now, you’ll create a network of mainframe professionals who can support you throughout your career, regardless of where you work.

✅ Preserve the Mainframe Ethos – As many seasoned professionals retire, technical knowledge and professional connections are being lost. WAVEZ is committed to passing down knowledge and maintaining the collaborative spirit of the mainframe industry through the next generation.

✅ Learn from Experts in the Field – Gain insights from experienced professionals in mainframe organizations, covering key IBM Z technologies like RACF, DB2, CICS, MQ, and z/OS.

✅ Career Development & Soft Skills – In addition to technical sessions, the event includes soft skills training, helping you navigate your career, communicate effectively, and position yourself for growth in the industry.

✅ Free to Attend – Lunch & Refreshments Provided! – Enjoy a full day of technical sessions, networking opportunities, and career-building discussions, all at no cost.

This event is about more than just technical knowledge—it’s about creating a strong, connected, and skilled mainframe community for the future.

🔗 Follow WAVEZ on LinkedIn for Event Updates: WAVEZ LinkedIn

🎤 Call for Speakers – Share Your Expertise!

We are currently accepting technical session and workshop submissions for WAVEZ Spring 2025! If you have expertise to share in IBM Z, we encourage you to submit a session via Sessionize.

📅 Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 10th, 2025
💡 Session Length: 45 minutes (including Q&A)

Session Tracks:

📌 WAVEZ 101 – Building Mainframe Foundations (For newcomers and early-career professionals)
📌 WAVEZ 102 – Advancing Your IBM Z Expertise (For those with some experience looking to deepen their knowledge)

Topics of Interest:
🔹 Security (e.g., RACF)
🔹 Databases (e.g., DB2)
🔹 Transactions & Messaging (e.g., CICS, MQ)
🔹 Operating Systems (e.g., z/OS)
🔹 Soft Skills (e.g., career development, communication in IT)

🔗 Submit Your Session Here: Sessionize – WAVEZ Spring Event 2025

🎟 Who Can Register?

👨‍💻 Early-Career Mainframe Professionals (0-7 Years Experience)

This event is exclusively for mainframe professionals in the first 0-7 years of their careers. If you are working in a mainframe-related role and looking to expand your knowledge and network with peers, you are encouraged to register.

🔗 Register Here: Mainframe Professional Registration

⚠ This event is NOT intended for seasoned mainframers.
If you are an experienced mainframer and wish to attend, we encourage you to contribute to the event by delivering a session. See our Call for Speakers section above for more details.

🎓 WAVEZ Student Scholarship

Students and recent graduates (within 2 years) can apply for a scholarship ticket to attend WAVEZ Spring 2025. Due to limited spots, applications will be reviewed, and the best applicants will be awarded tickets.

📅 Application Deadline: March 18th, 2025
📅 Scholarships Awarded: March 21st, 2025

Scholarship Criteria

✔ Open to: Students and graduates (graduated within the last 2 years)
✔ Required: Interest in mainframe technology and IBM Z
✔ Recommended: Progress in IBM zXplore (or IBM Skills Depot) to develop foundational mainframe knowledge

⚠ Important: Travel and accommodation are not provided and must be arranged at your own expense.

🔗 Apply Here: WAVEZ Student Scholarship Application

📧 Questions? Contact students@gse.org.uk

📝 Agenda

🔹 Each topic will have both a WAVEZ 101 (introductory) and WAVEZ 102 (intermediate) session running simultaneously.

📌 This is a sample agenda—final details will be confirmed after the Call for Papers closes on March 10th, 2025.

📚 Enhance Your IBM Z Skills Before the Event!

To make the most of WAVEZ Spring 2025, we encourage all attendees to progress through IBM zXplore (formerly Master the Mainframe) or IBM Skills Depot.

These platforms provide free, hands-on learning in IBM Z, helping you build technical knowledge before attending the event.

🔗 Start Learning Today: IBM Skills Depot

📩 Questions?

For any inquiries, please reach out to:
📧 Students & Scholarship Applications: students@gse.org.uk
📧 General Inquiries: ricki.west@gse.org.uk

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: WAVEZ UK

WAVEZ UK Team:

🟦 WAVEZ Chairman: Ricki West
🟦 WAVEZ 101 Co-Chairs: Niall Ashley, Elitsa Popova
🟦 WAVEZ 102 Co-Chairs: Chris Knowles, Lukas Jaks
🟦 WAVEZ IBM Rep: Thomas Baskerville

Join us at WAVEZ Spring 2025 to connect, learn, and be part of the future of mainframe technology! 🚀