In order to provide underprivileged youth in Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa with access to SAP skills training, the German enterprise software giant — in partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited (GenU) — recently launched a new workforce readiness initiative.
In December 2021, SAP became a founding member of GenU, a global multi-sector partnership with the stated mission of preparing the next generation of workers and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Quality Education (#4) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (#8). GenU brings together stakeholders from government, international organizations, civil society, the commercial sector, and youth from all over the world to achieve its goals, such as bridging the gap between secondary-age education, training and employment, as well as entrepreneurship.
Starting in 2019, SAP has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to implement GenU’s program, which aims to equip young people from low-income communities with the education, life skills, and employment preparation they need to become productive members of society. UNICEF is the organization that serves as the foundation for the world’s first Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) known as GenU, which was introduced before the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2018.
Since then, the groups have spread their game-changing educational methods to three million young people across India, Turkey, and Vietnam. Recognizing that teachers are the ones who will spread SAP’s educational vision to their students, UNICEF and GenU’s regional initiatives place a strong emphasis on enhancing their abilities. SAP’s help in Vietnam was a prime illustration of how gamification, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) may be used to improve UNICEF’s educational programs.
As a result of these initiatives, 432 educators have been equipped with the knowledge and skills to apply cutting-edge methods of teaching their students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through the use of visual and interactive approaches.
Expanding SAP, UNICEF, and GenU’s Partnership
This month, SAP, UNICEF, and GenU expanded their collaboration to launch a pilot program to help disadvantaged youth gain the skills they need to succeed in the digital and sustainable economy. Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), GenU’s flagship program, will be utilized in the pilot projects that will be launched in the Philippines, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer at GenU, said that unemployment among today’s youth is three times higher than those of adults, foretelling an uncertain future for humanity as a whole. He emphasized that in order for young people to be able to keep up with the constantly shifting demands of the job market, they need a complete set of skills that will allow them to compete both locally and internationally.
“I am delighted that SAP and GenU are continuing our long-standing partnership. Together we will support even more young people worldwide to unlock opportunities,” Frey added.
Making SAP Skills Training Available for Young People
SAP and GenU aim to provide over 500,000 young people with opportunities to learn digital and foundational skills by the end of the program’s first year. The partnership will also lend its support to SAP’s Educate to Employ campaign, which targets young adults (those between the ages of 16 and 24) and seeks to equip them with the necessary soft skills, foundational knowledge, and SAP skills through the use of the student zone on the SAP Learning website. In the said platform, students can access free training on the most up-to-date SAP solutions and technologies to launch their professional careers.
According to Christian Klein, Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Executive Board at SAP, it is crucial that young people all across the world get the resources they need to develop their skills and create the future of our global community. Commenting on the expanded partnership with UNICEF and GenU, he remarked:
“We are excited to continue our collaboration with GenU to help empower the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers around the globe to thrive and create positive change for the societies in which they live and work.”
