I just read a really good article about COBOL. It said that COBOL programmers are now in demand because hardly anyone knows the language anymore. Hardly any colleges teach it. I have noticed some COBOL jobs posted on craigslist lately. I do not have a programming background, but I would consider learning this if I thought it would land me a job. I notice some job postings don't require you to know much more than just "Micro-Focus COBOL" and "embedded SQL." I'm not sure what they mean by this. Is it worth it to spend time learning this then? Most other programming jobs you need to learn five or more languages plus have a college degree.
IMO it is worth learning COBOL only if you plan to work for a company that uses it, which is mostly banks. It isn't a difficult language to learn and you can get free cobol compilers for the PC. The best thing I like about the language is its great business reporting capability -- makes doing reports a breeze.
I remember using a custom made COBOL based program back in 96 and it was fantastic. Did the job perfectly well.
Colleges do not teach it, because it is an old archaic programming language. If you want to land a job, learn PHP, Java, or .NET.
I think its well said that mostly banking companies uses this language. and rarely i see COBOL Programmers, so it would be good for you if you really want to get into it.
I agree, and take several banking courses while your at college because it will make it easier for you to get a banking IT job.
if you have done your research and know that there is more demand than supply for COBOL programmers, then sure it is worth it, but I'm not sure finding a job as a COBOL programmer is as easy as you think it is