The most complex COBOL program in the KTCS portfolio — 15 apprentices trained simultaneously for placement across two Fortune-ranked healthcare employers. One program. Two employer tracks. One KTCS Lead COBOL Instructor. Every apprentice placed. Every employer satisfied. 100% conversion rate across both organizations.
Program TypeCOBOL Mainframe Pre-Apprenticeship
Employer 1Fortune 500 Healthcare Insurance
Employer 2Fortune 1000 Healthcare Company
Program Year2024–2025
Cohort Size15 Apprentices
Conversion100% Both Employers
15
Apprentices trained across two employer tracks simultaneously
100%
Full-time conversion at both employers — zero attrition in either track
2
Fortune-ranked healthcare employers served by a single program cohort
6
Documented instructor performance notes across standout program participants
2024– 2025
Most recent COBOL program in the KTCS portfolio — the model at scale
The Dual Employer Model
One Program. Two Employers. One Standard.
The dual employer structure is the most operationally complex version of the KTCS apprenticeship model. A single cohort of 15 apprentices was trained to a common COBOL baseline, then tracked for placement across two separate Fortune-ranked healthcare organizations with distinct technical environments. Both employers received 100% of their requested placements. Both achieved 100% conversion.
Employer 1
Fortune 500 Healthcare Insurance Company
A Fortune 500 healthcare insurance organization with mission-critical mainframe infrastructure processing claims, eligibility, and benefits data at enterprise scale. Apprentices placed into COBOL development and maintenance roles aligned to existing production systems.
Employer 2
Fortune 1000 Healthcare Company
A Fortune 1000 healthcare organization requiring COBOL talent for system integration and data processing roles. Apprentices placed into technical roles that interface legacy mainframe infrastructure with modern healthcare data systems.
What Made This Possible
KTCS COBOL Curriculum Is Employer-Agnostic at the Foundation
The COBOL language, JCL, z/OS, VSAM, CICS, and DB2 are standard across IBM mainframe environments. KTCS designed a curriculum that builds employer-agnostic core competency first — then allows employer-specific customization in the final project and apprenticeship alignment phase. This is what makes the dual employer model work.
Instructor Performance Notes
Documented by the KTCS Lead COBOL Instructor.
The following notes are drawn directly from the KTCS Lead COBOL Instructor’s final project assessments. All participants are identified by initials only. These notes are on file and available to verified employer partners and funders upon request.
A.B.
Antonina B.
“In the running for top student. Submitted final project ahead of deadline.”
Final Project · Early Submission
D.S.
David S.
“Completed the final project and is ready. David is a beast.”
Final Project · Ready to Deploy
N.M.
Nicole M.
“One of the top students. Final project submission is clearly indicative of this.”
Final Project · Top Performer
P.N.
Papa N.
“From Day One among the leaders. Final project only reinforces this. Good to go.”
Day 1 Leader · Confirmed
L.R.
Laura R.
“Can now consider herself a COBOL programmer. Ready to tackle the final project.”
Milestone Achieved · Employer Ready
J.C.
Josue C.
“Solidified himself as someone who can become a COBOL professional. Remarkable comeback.”
Growth Trajectory · Remarkable
Note on participant documentation. All instructor notes are on file with KTCS and available to verified employer partners upon request. Participant identities are protected in public-facing materials. Full names, performance records, and employer placement details are available under a signed reference agreement.
Program Outcomes
15 In. 15 Placed. Two Employers. Both 100%.
15 of 15
Apprentices placed across two Fortune-ranked employers — zero attrition in either employer track
100%
Full-time conversion at both employers — KTCS’s conversion record holds across all COBOL programs
2
Fortune-ranked healthcare employers served simultaneously by a single program — a first in the KTCS portfolio
2024– 2025
Most recent COBOL program — the most recent evidence that the model scales
Round 2
The 2022–2023 COBOL cohort (8 apprentices, Fortune 500 Financial Services) proved the concept. This cohort scaled it.
Zero
COBOL experience required for program entry — the KTCS curriculum builds from the language fundamentals up
The COBOL Pipeline. At Scale.
Ready to Solve Your Mainframe Succession Problem?
KTCS has now delivered two COBOL programs — 8 apprentices in 2022–2023 and 15 across two employers in 2024–2025 — with 100% full-time conversion in both. If your organization needs COBOL developers and your senior engineers are retiring, we have a proven, scalable model ready to deploy.