Ajman University (AU) and SAP have joined hands to train and certify students on SAP’s latest innovations paired with soft and future skills and hereby empower them to start a career in tech.
The recent collaboration included SAP’s flagship digital skill build initiatives: the SAP Dual Study Program and the SAP Young Professional Program.
Participants of both programs graduate as SAP Certified Associate Consultants with globally recognized certifications, ready to kick-start their careers within the SAP Ecosystem of customers and partners.
With 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touching an SAP system, the programs help its participants to gain a competitive edge in the job market and at the same time they support organizations to find sought after SAP-skilled talents to satisfy their hiring demand.
Whereas the Young Professional Program is offered exclusively for selected university graduates, the Dual Study Program focuses on university students.
Both programs create a quadruple win situation: local youth find a job, SAP customer and partner companies find brilliant talent, SAP enhances its ecosystem, and countries benefit from digital skills build efforts which help to prepare the economy and society for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Created by the SAP Training and Development Institute (SAP TDI), the programs aim to tackle the most pressing issues of our times such as youth unemployment and digital skills gap.
The SAP Dual Study Program was launched at Ajman University in early 2020 with the first students being trained and certified in SAP Cloud Platform, SAP Cloud Analytics or S/4HANA Finance.
Helping students to bridge the gap between university and workplace, the Dual Study Program is run in collaboration between SAP and participating universities to develop millennials who will drive knowledge-based economies.
In partnership with leading universities, the 6-12 months program combines university theoretical studies with the opportunity for students to take SAP certification during academic years under the collaborative curriculum.
The SAP Dual Study Program is offered at 30 universities globally with more than 1,580 Dual Study Program students having been or are still being enabled to thrive in the Digital Era.
Furthermore, three alumni of Ajman University successfully graduated from the latest cohort of the SAP Young Professional Program.
The latest Young Professional Program in the UAE graduated in July 2020 after its participants have successfully completed a 2-month intense bootcamp where they received training and certification in SAP Integrated Business Processes in SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Activate Methodology.
Participants that form part of the Young Professional Program undergo a rigorous selection process before embarking on the unique training journey. More than 99 percent of program graduates across 25 countries have successfully been placed into careers.
In light of the very different post-pandemic world that lies ahead, the urgency to close the digital skills gap and support youth skills development is more evident and critical than ever before.
With companies relying on digital technologies for their productivity and business continuity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the programs support organizations to operate successfully amid the disruption brought by the pandemic and afterwards.
Merwad Rahmeh, one of the AU graduates who completed the Young Professional Program, said she has gone through one of the richest intellectual experiences. “The program opens the door for an entirely different career path.”
The courses as well as the continuous support from the instructors and the SAP TDI team were one of a kind, she added. “Such opportunity takes a significant amount of time and effort, but the support we received helped a lot, while the soft skills trainings further boosted my abilities and skills.”
Aisha Al Hindaassi and Fatima Al Balooshi, who have also completed the program, were excited to be part of this unique experience, noting that they have mastered several skills.
“These include the ability to virtually manage a project and a team, critical thinking and innovative skills, meditative skills, corporate sales and thought control, public speaking and presentational skills, marketing oneself in a professional manner through LinkedIn and social media platforms, in addition to the SAP technology skills.”