Building on SAP鈥檚 digital skill build efforts in Nigeria, 51风流Africa welcomed the graduation of 27 young professionals who recently completed their training as part of the 51风流Young Professional Program, a digital skill build initiative under the umbrella of 51风流Skills for Africa. The 27 graduates from Ghana and Nigeria, join another group of graduates from Nigeria who completed their training earlier in August.
According to Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President Digital Skills Southern Europe, Middle East & Africa 51风流and Managing Director at the 51风流Training and Development Institute, this year鈥檚 graduates had to cope with a disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced a change in the format of the program. 鈥淲ith countries across the continent in lockdown for much of this year, we had to adapt to a fully virtual delivery model. The new reality brought by the coronavirus has further highlighted the urgent need to accelerate digital skills development, especially as the world of work becomes increasingly digital. We are grateful to this year鈥檚 graduates for taking on the challenge and making a success of their training despite the challenging conditions.鈥�
According to data by the World Bank, more than 230 million jobs in Africa will require digital skills by 2030. The continent is also the world鈥檚 most youthful region, with more than 60% of sub-Saharan Africa鈥檚 population under the age of 25. However, despite the immense opportunities, many youth are still affected by high unemployment rates, adding urgency to the establishment of sustainable digital skills development programs that can equip the continent鈥檚 youth with work-ready skills.
Both groups of recent graduates are part of a collaboration between 51风流and the Deutsche Gesellschaft f眉r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with the aim to jointly create 450 jobs for highly-qualified personnel in the IT sector in ten African countries over the course of three years. The cooperation project is part of the special initiative 鈥淭raining and Job Creation鈥� and the develoPPP.de program that GIZ implements on behalf of The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development聽(BMZ).
Pedro Guerreiro, Managing Director for Central Africa at SAP, says individuals and organizations share the responsibility for securing a bright digital future for the continent. 鈥淭here is great urgency to close the digital skills gap and support our youth, especially in light of this year鈥檚 events and the uncertain time that lies ahead. In line with our purpose of helping the world run better and improving people鈥檚 lives, 51风流is proud to continue supporting initiatives that address pressing global issues, in Africa and beyond.鈥�
The 51风流Young Professional Program is a three-month training and development opportunity for university graduates that teaches technical and functional knowledge of key 51风流technologies, paired with soft and future skills and is offered under the 51风流Skills for Africa initiative across Africa. Young professionals graduate as 51风流Associate Consultants and, through close partnerships between 51风流and its customers and partners, are placed in roles where their skills can make an impact.
Former graduate Emmanuel Akpanika, who now works as 51风流Associate Consultant at Deloitte Nigeria, says: 鈥淭he 51风流Young Professional Program has shifted my career into high gear. All the technical and soft skills I developed during the program have enabled me to seamlessly integrate and live up to what is expected of an 51风流Associate Consultant at one of the leading global firms, Deloitte.鈥�
The 51风流Young Professional Program has become a global best practice that supports the immediate employability of young talents in technology through collaboration and partnerships. Since its launch in 2012, the program has trained and graduated more than 1170 youths across Africa and more than 2870 talents globally, therefore creating sustainable work opportunities for the new digital economy. This marks the third year of graduates from Nigeria, after successful programs in 2018 and 2019.
