Student Training and Rotation or STAR is a program dedicated to SAP internships supporting the youth’s digital talent skills development across different countries including Indonesia.
The German tech giant’s work-integrated learning program, which is supported on a global scale, offers real-world experience to students, complementing academic studies by directing and preparing them for careers in the future. Participants in the STAR Program are able to rotate across numerous SAP business areas while simultaneously receiving on-the-job and structured development as well as mentoring from executives across the company’s customer success organisational departments.
Hongwei Lu, Senior Manager of STAR Learning and Development, Southeast Asia at SAP, mentioned that several SAP global executives including CEO Christian Klein and Executive Board Member Thomas Saueressig are graduates of past STAR programs. She added:
“That’s two out of six executive members and STAR students have had a great opportunity to become part of the top ranks of our company and other leading technology companies. This is our way of shaping future leaders even before the get-go of formal work – call it talent-hacking!”
In Indonesia, a survey conducted by East Ventures for the Digital Competitiveness Index (EV-DCI) 2022 in collaboration with Katadata and PwC Indonesia indicated that almost 80{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of local businesses have placed a strong emphasis on making investments in information and communication technology (ICT) as well as digital transformation initiatives. The estimates provided by the Ministry of Communication and Information stated that the country would require nine million digital talents within the next 15 years, which works out to an annual average of 600,000 digital assets.
SAP Internships Fostering Indonesia’s Digital Talents
Since its inception in 1979, the STAR program has been implemented in a total of 13 different countries with this year marking the beginning of the initiative’s rollout in Indonesia. The SAP internships last for one academic year and accept individuals who are in their second year of college. Furthermore, they focus on helping students in the information technology and consulting industries be better prepared and skilled for the workforce of the future.
Moreover, SAP Indonesia developed STAR as a direct response to a move by the Indonesian government to cultivate multifaceted talents that are able to face employment challenges in the world today. Not only does SAP Indonesia want to increase interpersonal skills with the help of STAR, but also the digital literacy and general ICT capabilities that are essential for the digital economy.
Additionally, Participants are given the opportunity to switch departments every three months, specifically moving between the Consulting, Customer Engagement, Solution, Sales, and ICA divisions. The SAP e-learning platform also assists trainees in expanding their knowledge of the relevant industry as well as their technical expertise.
Andreas Diantoro, who was appointed as SAP Indonesia’s MD in 2018, hopes that the STAR program would be able to help the country fill the current gap in digital talent skills while also developing young leaders who will be early movers in the industry.
“SAP’s STAR program is targeted at equipping and maturing students to ensure they are workforce-ready,” he added.
This month, the SAP Indonesia MD won the Best CEO Award in the Enterprise Application Software category in the recently concluded event organised by The Iconomics. Diantoro has high expectations that the award, along with the efforts of SAP, will encourage more individuals in Indonesia to strive for greatness and make significant contributions to the development of their nation.
