City, SAP Africa put 30 graduates on path to prosperity
11 December 2015
Thirty carefully selected unemployed university graduates with ICT and business skills this month undertake an extensive 10-week training programme that has the potential to open up exciting employment opportunities for them in the near future.
The programme, the first of its kind in South Africa, is a partnership between the City of Johannesburg and leading software and technology solutions provider SAP Africa.
The SAP Skills for Africa programme, as it is called, focuses on driving innovation and entrepreneurship through critical thinking, preparing students for employment and empowering them to significantly participate in the mainstream of the ICT sector and the burgeoning economy. It is a job-creation initiative aimed at training young, unemployed graduates in relevant SAP modules – including financials, business intelligence and human resources – and place them on the path to a lucrative SAP career.
Speaking at the students’ orientation ceremony at SAP Africa’s headquarters in Woodmead on Thursday December 10, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Parks Tau said the partnership had the potential to change the lives of all participants and boost South Africa’s skills offerings, in turn attracting increased international business and increasing the country’s share of business abroad.
“The SAP certification provides qualifying students with a variable skill that has a high market demand, a skill that many people are prepared to sacrifice for. By working committedly and acquiring the SAP qualification, these young learners will not only empower themselves but they will also contribute to the prosperity of their families and the community as a whole. As the City of Johannesburg, we are committed to helping usher in a new cadre of young people, a new generation of skilled individuals who will put South Africa on par with the international community,” said Mayor Tau.
He said after qualifying, the City would incubate the graduates in year-long internships. On completion of their internships, they would be eligible to apply for permanent positions within the City or in the private sector.
“This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience and make you more marketable in the jobs sector because you possess practical experience you gained in the City,” said Mayor Tau.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services Councillor Mally Mokoena said the partnership provided an important skills development and training opportunity for the young men and women.
“The SAP Skills for Africa programme not only reinforces the relationship between the City and SAP Africa but it also supports the City’s programme announced in May this year to educate Digital Interns (COJEDI) in modern-age skills as part of the foundation phase of developing the Johannesburg Smart City plan,” said MMC Mokoena.
SAP Africa’s Manager for Strategic Programmes, Meena Confait, said the 30 students, selected from a list of more than 1 000 applicants, would form the first South Africa SAP Skills for Africa Chapter.
“The most critical component of the SAP Skills for Africa programme is that every student, upon successfully completing their studies, receive internally recognised certification and will go on to internships with SAP partners and customers involved in the initiative. The South African SAP Skills for Africa initiatives follow the successful graduating classes of 2013 and 2014 in Kenya, and the graduation of the first Skills for Africa class in Morocco earlier this year,” she added.