LAGOS, Nigeria, March 14, 2023 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The latest cohort of candidates for the SAP Young Professionals Program (as part of Skills for Africa) has graduated, providing a welcome boost to organizations’ digital transformation efforts in East and West Africa . A total of 26 candidates passed, coming from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana.
Amin Meqdadi, Head of Mid-Market for Africa at SAP, said graduates will bring work-ready technology skills to organizations in the region and support their digital transformation efforts. “Access to relevant technology skills is one of the biggest challenges facing African organizations, and the need for technology skills will only increase due to the demand for digital tools and processes. The SAP Young Professionals Program plays an important role by providing opportunities to activate digital skills for the youth, and help address the skills issues facing most African organizations.
Africa’s need for technology skills is increasing
Research recently released by SAP shows an acute technology skills shortage in East and West Africa, with only 3% of organizations saying they do not expect to have technology skills challenges by 2023. Ninety-three percent of organizations also say they need technology. skills have increased in the past 12 months, with two-thirds of Nigerian organizations citing ‘important’ increase.
To support its customers and partners and the broader African technology ecosystem, SAP offers several skills development initiatives under the Skills for Africa umbrella, including the SAP Young Professionals Program and the SAP Dual Studies Program as well as a newly launched program called SAP Digital Skills Training. The program runs for the first time in South Africa this year. The initiative creates a quadruple win-win situation: local unemployed or underemployed youth find suitable job opportunities, SAP customers and partners find good talent for digitization efforts, the country benefits from the digital skills created, and SAP increases the power of the ecosystem.
The 2-3 month SAP Young Professional Program includes a unique activation plan that includes functional/technical knowledge and SAP software certification with a key focus on SAP’s latest innovations as well as soft and future skills training. The target is bright graduates from the university – all citizens of the country where the program is offered.
Celebrate the successful development of graduate skills
Since its launch in 2012, the SAP Young Professional Program has trained and graduated more than 4000 talents in 41 countries around the world, including more than 1900 graduates from 22 African countries.
The latest cohort of 26 graduates completed a certificate course in SAP Ariba Sourcing to boost digital transformation in procurement and accelerate the establishment of a digital supply chain, as well as SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, a core component of smart enterprises and a leading driver of rapid digital transformation in Africa.
Participants graduate from the program as SAP Associate Consultants, with a competitive edge in the job market. This puts every graduate of the program directly employed in various public and private sector companies.
Henok Petros, a graduate from Ethiopia who is part of the latest batch, said the program is good for his SAP career. “The SAP Young Professionals Program has helped me gain a different perspective and helped me see my potential in many ways. I am grateful to have completed the training successfully, and happy because it helped me connect with different coaches and colleagues from all over Africa.
According to Nardos graduate Yilma, the program has given her skills that have allowed her to have a lasting impact on her community and the world at large. “By participating in the SAP Young Professional Program, I was able to gain a new perspective on business solutions and SAP technology. The knowledge and skills I gained during the program, coupled with the training experience, helped me start a consulting career in the SAP ecosystem, increase my confidence and expand my professional goals.
The next cohort of the SAP Young Professional Program with candidates from South Africa will begin training at the end of March and will graduate in June.
For more information on the Digital Skills Center initiative including the SAP Young Professional Program, visit https://www.sap.com/mena/dsc
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.
About SAP
SAP’s strategy is to help every business become a smart and sustainable company. As the market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87% of total global trade. Machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help transform our customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insights and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of the competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can use their software the way they want – without interruption. Our suite of end-to-end applications and services enable businesses and general customers in 25 industries worldwide to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps make the world a better place and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
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