When we decided to hire 4 young people with no programming experience to become our new group of Junior RPG developers, I wasn’t sure where to start with their training. After searching online for options, we found your online training class and thought it looked like a fit for what we were planning.
In just 5 months, we’ve got all 4 junior programmers working on different types of projects. All are showing a great understanding of programming logic, RPG programming, CL programs, RDI and the IBM iSeries in general. They are so far ahead of our expectations that we truly couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve seen. Because they were allowed to progress at their own pace, two of them were already working on projects in just 2 months!
The results we’ve seen and the understanding into programming that these new programmers have gained from your class has been amazing. To take 4 non-programmers and turn all 4 into Junior RPG developers in such a short time has been a huge help to our department. We appreciate all that you did to help our new people become productive employees and look forward to working with you again in the future.
Michael Gabrysch
My name is Michael and I am an IT Manager at MBI, Inc. a $300 million consumer products company in Connecticut that has just celebrated its 50th anniversary. We are an IBM i shop with two divisions plus corporate each running their own applications on a partitioned system with three separate supporting teams of application developers. Our applications are written in ILE RPG Free utilizing extensive SQL and using Rational Developer (RDi) as our development tool.
Over the years it has become harder and harder to find talented RPG developers especially ones with the drive and excitement to take on new technologies. Along with ILE we are using SOAP and REST web services, PHP, XML, HTTP and JavaScript to build more modern applications and interfaces. We needed to find employees to support our growth and it was at the fall COMMON User Group conference in Pittsburg last year that I met Jim and heard about his company and its mission.
At the conference I met with a group of young developers, new to the IBM i, and was very pleased to see their enthusiasm about our system. These developers came from a variety of technical backgrounds, .Net, Java, etc., but all were now working at IBM i shops. The common thread for these developers was that they had gone thru Jim’s courses to help get them up to speed on ILE, CLLE, RDi, DB2 and our very amazing operating system.
I got home from the conference and convinced upper management here at MBI that this was a very viable approach to addressing our staffing needs. Approval was given and I immediately started working with local agencies to find non-ILE talent interested in adding IBM i to their skillset. In February 2019 we found and hired Laura an experienced developer with C#, MVC, .Net and JavaScript experience. She immediately started taking Jim’s courses ‘IBM i Concepts and Operations’ and ‘Programming in ILE RPG’.
By mid-April Laura had completed the on-line courses. She was an active participant in their weekly online group sessions and she got timely and effective support from Jim and his team. imPower was effective in keeping me abreast of Laura’s progress so that I could feed her appropriate assignments to reinforce her education.
Laura has taken her new knowledge and become a contributing member of our team. We are only three months past the formal education phase and I am pleased to be able to report to both Jim and my management that this has proven to be very effective solution. I highly recommend Jim and his company’s on-line education offerings and would be glad to talk one-on-one with anyone considering taking this approach. Michael Lestik III
“imPowers’ online courses (Programming in ILE RPG and IBM i Concepts) turned out to be an excellent solution for my company to train two new employees. Because of an unforeseen retirement we were put in a position where we had two new programmers starting at the same time. They both had programming experience but not on the IBM I platform. We had them both taking the online courses almost immediately. By the time they completed this course they both had a strong starting base in both ILE RPG and RDI. They were able to establish this base very quickly (5-6 weeks). They were able to start working on some actual programs in our system much sooner than I expected, mainly because of these two courses. I would highly recommend imPower.”
Mark Harris
“Like most IBM i shops, I have experienced many issues with trying to hire entry level RPG developers. Over the past few years our need to expand our IT development was limited to consultants or those with 25+ years of experience. It has been impossible to find someone with RPG knowledge, just beginning their professional career and that have had some exposure to other developmental languages. Earlier this year I was fortunate to be able to hire a recent graduate (Francis) of a local school that focused intensely on JavaScript and User Interfaces. Prior to his hiring I reviewed your on-line RPG class and recognized right away that this was the right path to follow, hire someone really good at JavaScript and teach them RPG. I had no hesitations in selecting imPower Technologies to provide this education. Francis’ goal when hired was to complete the on-line class within his first 90-days. It was amazing to see his progress. Not only was he learning RPG, but he was fully embracing the entire language and the IBM i. The progress and feedback from you was also very helpful. Once he completed the course he was ready for real world programming. After just 3 months, I now have a developer that can program in both RPG and JavaScript. This would not have been possible without your help and on-line class. I read so much about how IBM / RPG is dead and out dated. This experience proves how wrong that is. With a solid logical background and the ability of taking your comprehensive on-line class, RPG is alive and well here at Banyan.”
Laurence Curcio
“My experience throughout Jim’s ILE RPG and IBM i class has been nothing short of spectacular. Each chapter in the books are filled with great and detailed information on the specific topics, and the video lectures he supplies online are a great reinforcement to the readings. The sections are completed with either a lab or programming assignment, which was a awesome way to apply what you learned in the chapter into a real world problem. Although I took this class online, Jim was heavily engaged in my learning of the language and always reached out to see what more could be done to not only improve my ability to learn, but what could be done to improve the class for others as well. Jim was always eager to help in any way possible and pushes you to put yourself in a position to exceed. In a matter of 3 months, I went from not knowing what RPG stood for to being able to build full-on ILE RPG programs. Within 2 days after completing the course, I was able to get down to business and begin helping my current employer with building and maintaining company programs. All of this could not have been possible without Jim and his classes, and I will be forever grateful for the experience. “
Francis Calizo
“What Jim offers fills a needed gap. It is a great answer to training resource with required skills. We have had a couple of staff members, including a student take Jim’s class. After doing so they have been able to hit the ground running in a short period of time. A student with the desire and aptitude can take Jim’s class and be a valuable part of your programming team quickly. The class is great quality at a great price. Well worth the investment. The class format, material and structure is very professionally done and well suited to the purpose. Jim goes beyond and above and truly is making an impact on meeting the need to train the next generation on IBM i.“
Laura Ubelhor
“I had never heard of IBM i or RPG before meeting, Jim at MITEC. I took his RDi course, and soon will be getting certified for it. I am so fortunate to learn from Jim. He did a lot of one on one with me and helped me understand RDi to further my education goals. I now work for a company that does consulting on the IBM i platform, all due to his lessons. The RDi course will open your horizons, and Jim will bring you to it. I strongly recommend this course and instructor to those who wish to further their career. ”
David Cary
Jim Buck’s education program is among the best in the world. This has been proven time and time again as he continues to produce desirable students for IBM i companies. Jim’s passion for education coupled with years of business experience and a well-developed curriculum has helped make my career successful. His program is widely recognized as being effective and I strongly recommend it to anyone that is serious about learning the IBM i.
Ajay Gomez
Jim is a rare instructor; one you will not forget. I had the privilege of learning RPG programming from him, and though his knowledge is extensive, it wasn’t just technical elements that stuck; he cares about his students and works assiduously to see them succeed. I personally credit my highest levels of success to Jim and his tireless drive. Give Jim a pint and he’ll give you the Great Lakes.
Matthew Rossi
Jim Buck first taught me that RPG does not stand for Rocket Propelled Grenade, and I haven’t stopped learning since. I’ve been working for a company as a Programmer, then Programmer/Analyst, for nearly five years since graduating. I even met my current employer through WMCPA, which Jim was heavily involved in. I’ve had the opportunity to provide for my family using the knowledge that Jim helped me acquire. When I was in school, Jim pushed us all to be better. He didn’t accept excuses because we were better than that. He knew we could work through the issues that we came across, and helped us get to those solutions rather than providing them for us. It was tough – He was tough. And he’s been the most influential person in my life because of his dedication and passion to the students he’s helped. I will forever be grateful to Jim Buck for the support, motivation, and confidence that he has given me over the last six years.
Annie Fahy
Jim Buck is probably the best instructor I’ve ever had. His knowledge base and real world experience is outstanding in the IBM i world. Renowned author of several textbooks, and his personal involvement with his pupils make him a great educator. Jim’s knowledge in IBM languages such as CL, RPG, COBOL, and DB2 make the interaction of these programs with one another almost seamless in the programs I’ve built. Without his instructions and carefulness to make you adhere to properly constructing you program this would not be possible. The way he instructs you to write programs with the new modernization techniques will have your programs running faster and more efficiently saving your company processor time.
Jeff (Red) Koon
Jim Buck, what can I say – he is truly an IBM i Champion. Jim started out as an Instructor of mine and over the years has become more of a brother to me. Jim cares about more than just filling seats and the numbers – he cares about the student being able to learn and utilize the knowledge that he is passing on. I started the program at GTC in 2004. As an instructor at Gateway Technical College (GTC), Jim was tough. He had the highest standards. I am beyond grateful for Jim’s constant pushing to help me become better than ever. It was Jim’s strict standards and constant pushing that helped transform me into the person that I am today. Jim taught me much more than just RPG. He taught me how to think like a Software Developer, think about the impact of what I was doing, and think about the system as a whole. Since graduating, I have been able to transfer the skills that I learned into the “real world” and utilize them to become very proficient at my role as a Senior Software Developer. I have always felt that I had the tools to do whatever needed to be done (future, present, and past). If there was a way to do it, I would be able to figure it out. If you completed the program at GTC, the odds were very good that you would become employable in the field. Not because Jim was going to get you a job, but because you now have the skills necessary to earn a job in this field. Jim is very involved in the IBM i community and I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the best through him – Dr. Frank Soltis, Steve Will, Tim Rowe, Alan Seiden, Mike Pavlak, Larry Bolhuis, Charlie Guarino, Aaron Bartell, Jon Paris, Susan Gantner, and the list goes on and on.
Joseph Upright
As a Gateway Technical College graduate, I had the honor of being mentored by Jim Buck. Under his mentorship, I gained the necessary skills to build a successful career in IT. It was under his guidance I became a programmer for an amazing company. Jim was the recipient of the 2007 IBM System i Innovation – Education Excellence Award. In 2012, 2016 & 2017, he was named an IBM Champion for Power for his influence and mentorship helping others make the best use of IBM software, solutions, and services. I attribute my success to his abilities as an instructor, and the expectations he has of his students. There is no one who I hold higher or more deservingly has my respect, trust, and admiration. Jim, thank you for your patience, determination, & enthusiasm as a teacher. You are truly one of a kind.
David Woolman
Jim Buck was my instructor for RPGLE at Gateway during the 2009-2010 academic year. As head of the IBM I program at Gateway, Jim took as many aspiring programmers as he could from classroom to the software industry. He taught us not to simply copy other developer’s code, but to think about the best way to use RPG to write well-constructed, lasting and maintainable programs. He ushered students like me into the community by taking us to WMCPA meetings and introducing us to big names in the IBM i industry, like Scott Klement, John and Susan Paris and Mike Pavlak. Most of all, he posted job openings weekly and made it a priority to bring software company recruiters to us. If it were not for Jim, I would not have landed a job at Master’s Gallery in June of 2010. Since my school years I have kept in contact with Jim attending WMCPA conferences, meetings and working on IBM i projects like the standardized certification for RPGLE that is now distributed at COMMON. I have never seen anyone in the industry more dedicated to the advancement and preservation of the IBM i platform.
Brian Lannoye
Without Jim Buck I would not be where I am today. When I first met Jim, I had just dropped out of high school. Now I have an excellent career in programming at a great company and I owe it to Jim. Jim is the the kind of teacher who pushes his students to succeed. He genuinely cares whether or not they are learning . He is one of the most knowledgeable iSeries administrators that I have ever met, and his relationship with so many iSeries shops in the Wisconsin area means that his lessons have a business focus that many lack.
Eric Kraft
I was a student at Gateway Technical College and took Jim’s RPG classes. He taught me everything I needed to know about RPG to successfully maintain and build source code as well as navigate the system. He is a big believer in modernization, so as a student I learned the most current form of RPG and embedded SQL. We also used the most current tools like Profound UI and Arcad. In his classes I successfully created programs that have the same logic that I use everyday at work now. Without Jim and the knowledge he has given me I would not be where I am today.
Kelly Mason
Jim Buck’s courses were the most important classes in my career. He wrote the book RPG and teaches the language from a business use-case scenario. Students are learning more than how to write a new language, some are learning how a business runs day to day from creating inventory reports to creating tools to manage inventory. Over the years he has taught and helped students to become programmers where some go on to succeed to become business leaders.
Benjamin Leon