NextGen Academy: Perth Graduate Training Program

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they do!

NextGen

Ignite your career with our NextGen Academy in Perth

Start your next big adventure with Rocket Software’s NextGen Academy — a training and career development program designed for early-career technologists.

The mainframe underpins the world-economy and its footprint is growing exponentially. This is an amazing opportunity to learn Rocket’s approach to success by working alongside a collaborative cohort of some of our industry experts. You’ll also gain hands-on experience with enterprise software used by some of the world’s biggest companies.

Successful applicants will join our NextGen Academy for a six-month training program. This is a niche opportunity for mainframe training — and to get paid while learning! Throughout the six-month program, you’ll receive structured technical training, work on real-world projects, and be mentored by expert-level engineers. Upon successful completion, you may be offered a full-time role with one of our engineering teams.

Open positions

Our NextGen Academy kicks off in February 2026. This is a full-time, in-office opportunity at our new software development lab on the Swan River in Elizabeth Quay, Perth.

 

NextGen Perth

What You’ll Do:

  • Participate in a paid, immersive training program that covers software engineering, operating systems, quality assurance, and enterprise technologies.
  • Learn core programming languages and tools used in large-scale software systems.
  • Build your understanding of the IBM z/OS® enterprise operating system.
  • Complete individual and team assignments where you’ll solve real-world business problems.
  • Learn professional software practices, including Agile methodology, DevOps principles, and secure development.
  • Collaborate with teammates across departments and geographies.
  • Receive ongoing mentoring, feedback, and learning opportunities throughout the six-month Academy.

Who You Are:

  • Permanent resident or citizen of Australia.
  • Computer Science degree, or equivalent:
    • Recent graduate, or writing your final exams at the end of 2025.
  • Proficient in at least one programming language (e.g., Java, C/C++, Python, JavaScript).
  • Passionate about coding and/testing, as evident by previous participation in internships, bootcamps, academic work, or personal projects (e.g., coding at home, building apps, contributing to GitHub).
  • Curious, self-motivated, and eager to learn about systems, networks, and software engineering.
  • A keen interest in low-level programming.
  • A collaborative team player with good communication and interpersonal skills.
NextGen Perth Group
NextGen Perth

Nice to Have (but not required):

  • System Programming familiarity, gained through either experience or study.
  • Mainframe-related knowledge, evident by IBM training badges obtained (for example IBM z Xplore – free of charge).
  • Assembler programming knowledge.
  • Familiarity with relational databases (SQL, Db2, Oracle, PostgreSQL).
  • Awareness of enterprise systems, cybersecurity, or networking basics.
  • Familiarity with writing automated tests, especially using Python.
  • Participation in coding competitions, tech meetups, or open-source contributions.
  • Passionate about AI, with exposure gained through formal (e.g. study), or informal (e.g. personal interest) pathways.

What We Offer:

  • Academy experience and full-time training (38 hours a week) for six months.
  • Competitive compensation for the full duration of the Academy training program.
  • In-person, cohort-based learning and mentoring from industry experts.
  • A mission-driven, inclusive culture that values growth, curiosity, and collaboration.
  • Opportunity for full-time employment at the conclusion of the Academy, at our fantastic Perth location, working for an organization named one of the Best Companies to Work For in the U.S. News & World Report!
NextGen Perth

Hear from our recent graduates

Image of Egle Juraityte in front of a brick background

Joining Rocket Software’s NextGen Academy was a big step in changing my career path. The program opened my eyes to the unfamiliar world of mainframe, which I had never worked with before. The technical training was strong, and we got hands-on experience from day one. Now, I feel much more confident in my skills and excited to grow my career at Rocket Software."
 

Egle Juraityte NextGen Academy graduate
Ryan Skelton

What I enjoy most so far about working here is the people and the complexity of Rocket Software’s offerings, which I like working on.
I’ve met a wide range of brilliant people, and understanding their culture, environment, and work-life balance really mirrors the company’s core values, which is great to see."

Ryan Skelton NextGen Academy graduate
Marta Miret Badia

The first month of in-person induction for the COBOL allowed me to meet and build strong bonds with the rest of the grads, friendships that are still maintained today. Working in small teams on different assignments gave us the chance to share knowledge and learn from one another, creating a highly collaborative and supportive environment."

Marta Miret Badia NextGen Academy graduate
Image of Rustam Habibov witha park and building in the background

NextGen Academy gave me a unique opportunity to start my career in tech while providing a collaborative and supportive environment to grow my technical and professional skills. You can see the core values—humanity, empathy, trust, and love—applied in all interactions across the company. What I really like here is working every day on interesting and challenging tasks, which reflects real-world problems. I recommend anyone who is aspiring to start or change directions of their career to join NextGen Academy."

Rustam Habibov NextGen Academy graduate