If you thought the future was all Web 2.0 and Cloud Computing, think again. Computerworld reports that work in mainframes may not be headed the way of the COBOL programmer, but indeed, may be on the rise.

The driving force behind the need for quality candidates with mainframe skills is that many large corporations are heavily invested in the infrastructure, and will continue to need people to support and maintain these mission critical systems for the foreseeable future.

Kimberly Grim, senior vice president of mainframe engineering at Bank of America, describes mainframe systems, which handle the firm's most critical applications, as very safe: "We have been operating this platform for 40 years," Grim said. "It's changed a lot, and IBM has invested in keeping this platform state of the art." She said the mainframe platform can still handle high-volume work better than non-mainframe systems.

Making the mainframe career even more appealing is that there is currently a supply side shortage of qualified candidates. About four years ago, Grim said Bank of America saw a growing decline in the number of new college graduates with any mainframe training. That prompted the bank to become involved in IBM's Academic Initiative, which works with colleges and universities to develop mainframe training programs. So if you currently have mainframe skills, or are interested in working in that field, then take a look at the Dice job listings. According to the article, and a quick check by me, there are about 1,200 jobs with the keyword "mainframe" out there.

-- Chad Broadus