SAP‘s University Alliances Program to help bridge skills gaps and develop globally competitive leaders
By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
Cognizant of the need to be globally competitive in the midst of accelerated digital transformation, SAP ramps up University Alliances Program to help bridge skills gaps and develop globally competitive leaders for the next generation.
Admit it or not, with the changes in how to conduct business nowadays with the advent of technological innovations, and the demand for fast, efficient and secure service, organizations have been continuously embracing and adopting modern technologies in their business practices to stay competitive. With this reality, businesses require digital skills not only from their current workforce but from the next generation of IT professionals.
According to a recent study by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and LinkedIn, basic computer knowledge and skills are required from eight out of 10 hired applicants, and four out of 10 with extensive digital literacy in Asia and the Pacific. This situation is also the same in the Philippines. Simple digital skills were needed from six out of 10 hired Filipino jobseekers and two out of 10 with advanced skills.
Meanwhile, with the plans laid by the current administration, promoting digital literacy through upskilling young Filipinos, particularly their digital skills, is also deemed critical since the country continues to strengthen its digital transformation initiatives.
“As the demand for digital skills increases, we believe that education is the key to achieving the country’s digital transformation goals. Educational institutions must be able to equip their students with the right knowledge and digital skills before they enter the workforce. Not only will it help them have more opportunities in the professional world, but it will also give them the ability to help public or private organizations innovate for business success,” said Rudy Abrahams, Managing Director of SAP Philippines.
To assist in bridging the gap and build the next generation’s digital skills for more opportunities in the professional world, SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) continues its mission to help the world run better and improve people’s lives by helping strengthen the future IT workforce through its University Alliances Program (UAP) in the country.
With more than 160 university members across the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), this initiative aims to enable faculty and teachers to hone the youths’ digital skills by introducing the latest technologies and methodologies with SAP solutions. Membership in this program grants access to SAP software. It also aims to help partners to learn best practices for integrating program resources into teaching and be inspired to partner with the SAP ecosystem of customers and partners.
In the Philippines, there are now at least 23 universities that are part of the program. Among these institutions is Mapua University, one of the top IT schools in the country.
“Mapua University has been a member of the SAP UA Program since 2010. Our membership to this program allows us to equip our students with necessary digital skills that they can use to jumpstart their career and thrive as IT professionals,” said Ariel Kelly Balan, Dean of the School of Information Technology Mapua University.
Empower faculty members’ skills and knowledge with Train-the-Trainer workshops
For universities to educate students with modern digital skills, faculty members are provided with Train-the-Trainer workshops conducted by members of SAP Next-Gen Chapters. These are lighthouse educational institutions selected to be multipliers of the University Competence Centers (UCCs) and Academic Competence Centers (ACCs). These universities mentor educators of other institutions with the best practices for teaching students when it comes to educating SAP software and curriculum.
Train-the-Trainer workshops include a wide array of courses, such as ideal training, planning, and preparation, successful training start, professional rhetoric and presentation, effective media use and visualization, helpful activation methods for participants, and constructive and positive handling of critical situations.
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