- NTT DATA (Thailand) has launched the “NTT DATA Critical Resource Preparation” project in collaboration with three Thai universities to develop COBOL programming skills among students, addressing a global shortage in this field.
- The project aims to prepare students for the workforce with high-demand skills, offering training, internships, and significant compensation opportunities.
- Educational leaders from the participating institutions emphasise the importance of aligning curricula with market needs to enhance students’ employability and support the growing digital economy.
NTT DATA (Thailand), a subsidiary of NTT DATA Corporation and a global leader in digital business and IT services, has announced the launch of the “NTT DATA Critical Resource Preparation” project. This initiative aims to develop COBOL programming skills among the IT workforce in collaboration with Silpakorn University, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, and Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology. The project addresses the current shortage of skilled COBOL programmers in the job market by providing students with valuable opportunities to acquire these in-demand skills, essential for various industries such as banking, social insurance, mutual funds, hospitality, and healthcare.
Ms. Wanrapa Phankrut, Director of Human Resources at NTT DATA (Thailand), highlighted the importance of this initiative: “The ‘NTT DATA Critical Resource Preparation’ project aims to promote academic cooperation in developing COBOL personnel, knowledge, and skills in preparation for efficient entry into the workforce. Currently, there is a global shortage of COBOL programmers due to the language’s stability and high efficiency in processing data on mainframe computers. Notably, many of the world’s leading banks still use COBOL to process transaction data. According to Tech Channel, 70% of large organisations, including 45 out of 50 leading banks worldwide, still use COBOL, along with major industries like social security funds, mutual funds, hotels, and hospitals.”
The importance of IT personnel with COBOL language skills in development has decreased, while currently only 30% of universities worldwide still offer courses in this field. In Thailand, there are no courses offered or some universities only offer it as an elective. As COBOL experts worldwide have an average age of 55 years old, it reflects that there is a shortage of COBOL programmers globally.
Ms. Wanrapa Phankrut, Director of Human Resources at NTT DATA (Thailand)
Ms. Wanrapa also pointed out the decreasing emphasis on COBOL in educational curricula: “The importance of IT personnel with COBOL language skills in development has decreased, while currently only 30% of universities worldwide still offer courses in this field. In Thailand, there are no courses offered or some universities only offer it as an elective. As COBOL experts worldwide have an average age of 55 years old, it reflects that there is a shortage of COBOL programmers globally. The ‘NTT DATA Critical Resource Preparation’ project aims to develop Thai personnel to meet the demands of the job market and have the opportunity for good compensation. The company will support the training of professors in technical aspects, provide knowledge and consultation on COBOL language, and develop students’ potential in the field, and there is an opportunity to intern at NTT DATA (Thailand). In the mentioned field offers high compensation with entry-level salaries, ranging from 23,000 to 35,000 baht for 0-2 years of experience, 35,000 to 60,000 baht for 3-5 years of experience, 60,000 to 90,000 baht for 5-10 years of experience, and 90,000 to 150,000 baht for managerial positions. Other important factors in job promotion and salary adjustment include: leadership skills, communication skills, analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.”
Asst. Prof. Dr. Narong Chimpalee, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Silpakorn University, emphasised the importance of aligning education with market needs: “In today’s world, educational institutions must constantly develop their curricula to meet the demands of the labor market. This includes studying market trends, such as job requirements and the skills needed for those jobs. This information is used to develop and improve short- and long-term curricula to meet the needs of both public and private sector organisations. The aim is to provide students with the skills and knowledge that are in demand in the labor market, and to participate in projects that allow students to gain real-world work experience and prepare them for the job market upon graduation. This collaboration provides an opportunity for students to enhance their skills, including COBOL, which is a skill that is in demand in the market, and to increase their chances of working in this field globally.”
This collaboration not only supports students to acquire COBOL language skills, which is in demand globally, but also increases job opportunities for students in the market. In addition, COBOL is a high-level programming language that humans can easily understand and provides a foundation for logical thinking or programming thinking, enabling them to become professional programmers in developing modern programs or applications.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nipat Jongsawat, Dean of Science and Technology at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nipat Jongsawat, Dean of Science and Technology at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, noted the broader benefits of COBOL training: “This collaboration not only supports students to acquire COBOL language skills, which is in demand globally, but also increases job opportunities for students in the market. In addition, COBOL is a high-level programming language that humans can easily understand and provides a foundation for logical thinking or programming thinking, enabling them to become professional programmers in developing modern programs or applications. The university recognises the importance of developing COBOL personnel who have high knowledge and skills, can work and solve real problems, and meet the demands of the global job market. In addition to the opportunity to gain knowledge from NTT DATA, a world-class leader in digital business and IT services who possess professional knowledge and skills, to train trainers and create a COBOL Community for staff at the university to expand to the programming development community. Additionally, IT skills that are important in the labor market include IT skills that support the changing technology of the digital era, such as AI, IoT, Machine Learning, Big Data, Data Science, Cloud Computing, Blockchain and Cyber Security Analytics.”
Mr. Adisak Sueasaming, Dean of Information Technology at Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, highlighted the career benefits for students: “COBOL skills are a niche market that can increase students’ opportunities to enter the global job market. It is also a profession that offers high returns and continuous growth opportunities. The university has two courses related to this project: the Information Technology (IT) course focuses on important skills in software development and networking, and Digital Business Information Technology (BI) while Data, Business Intelligent and Business Integration course are developed based on the survey of IT job market demands and also help to reinforce important soft skills for teamwork, which the institute emphasises.”
Through this initiative, NTT DATA (Thailand) aims to bridge the skills gap in the IT workforce and provide students with the expertise required to excel in the job market, ensuring a steady supply of proficient COBOL programmers to meet industry demands.
About NTT DATA (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
NTT DATA (Thailand) Co., Ltd. or NTT DATA (Thailand) is a subsidiary of NTT DATA Corporation Co., Ltd., a global digital business and IT service leader, originally from Japan. NTT DATA has expertise in managing data networks and telecommunications at the forefront with over 139,500 employees worldwide, operating in more than 50 countries with experience serving leading companies, especially Japanese companies that have established in various countries around the world. In 2020, NTT DATA was ranked 6th in the global IT service provider market from Gartner. NTT DATA (Thailand) started as a technology system provider in payment solutions for debit and credit cards, including web-based and mobile applications, and has been trusted to serve financial sectors in the payment system for a long time. From such expertise, the company has been developed to serve customers in various industries, such as manufacturing, telecommunication, energy, and retail. As a result, NTT DATA (Thailand) has become an IT consulting company, including the design and development of technology solutions that are recognised with world-class standards, flexible to work as well as pay attention to quality and services for the best benefit of customers.
