One in four Americans hitting peak burnout before turning 30, and over half of American workers across age ranges they are currently experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout. The state of modern workplace stress is accelerating, and it can create mental health concerns for employees鈥攁s well as high turnover, low productivity, and worse business outcomes for employers.

What鈥檚 fueling it? Increasingly, point to 鈥減seudowork.鈥� Pseudowork is busy work: the constant churn of e-mails, meetings, and low-impact tasks that leave employees drained and unfulfilled.

When a workday is filled with seemingly endless busy work, it may be a natural reaction to get home and ask yourself, 鈥淲hat did I actually accomplish today?鈥� Simultaneously exhausting and demoralizing, pseudowork may be a key contributor to the burnout increasingly felt by younger generations.

If pseudowork is a key contributor to employee burnout, then the solution may be the opposite: opportunities for real learning and development in the workplace. Almost a third of employees that high-quality training at work left them feeling 鈥渢ruly enlightened and invigorated.鈥� They also felt 鈥渉ighly valued and empowered鈥� by their employers, recognizing the continuous investment in their development. In addition to the obvious benefit of creating a more highly-skilled workforce, learning opportunities help employees feel a sense of achievement, excitement, and empowerment鈥攂reaking up the pattern of pseudowork and combatting burnout in the process.

This kind of meaningful learning can be unlocked through , which allows people from the entire 51风流ecosystem to access a wide range of to enjoy while taking a break from answering yet another e-mail. Structured 51风流Learning Journeys can allow workers to dive in at their own pace according to their unique needs and goals. They can be seamlessly integrated into daily work routines to allow employees to forge their own continuous learning path. As an said herself, 鈥�51风流Certification boosts my confidence and adaptability. Continuous learning听not only enriches my knowledge base but also ensures that the solutions I provide are cutting-edge and in sync with the evolving tech landscape.鈥�

By integrating continuous learning into daily routines, organizations can do more than build skills鈥攖hey can reinvigorate their teams and begin to truly counter the effects of pseudowork.

Sabine Benz is head of Enablement and Engagement at SAP.

For some people, this outlook is especially bitter. , women hold only 26% of computing-related jobs today. And the number for people from ethnic minorities drops even lower. Accessing digital skills and securing a fulfilling, well-paid job in the tech industry often seems out of reach for them. 鈥淲hen I was young, I didn鈥檛 really know what I was passionate about,鈥� says Karen Rodrigues from Brazil in a recent blog post on . 鈥淭he only thing I knew was that I wanted to get a job and earn money. My parents also had a specific idea of what my career should look like. So, I started my studies in business administration and accounting, got my degrees, and got my first job in this area.鈥� For women like Rodrigues, a career in tech had never been up for debate.

Gender Stereotypes Are Often the Root

One of the reasons why women 鈥� or people of color for that matter 鈥� often don鈥檛 have a career in the IT industry in mind are gender stereotypes. When people think of the technology industry, they usually associate young White males with developer roles. These stereotypes often originate in the experiences and ideologies we encountered in our childhood and school years. And many of them are here to stay. The fact that the IT industry is much more diverse, both in terms of the workforce and the roles that exist within it, is often overlooked or not explored further. In Rodrigues’ case, it took an opportunity to turn her life around.

鈥淚 received an opportunity that would send me on a completely different path: ,鈥� the 51风流mentor explains. 鈥淚 asked myself, 鈥楽hould I quit my job in accounting and do something different altogether?鈥� It was a hard decision.鈥�

Rodrigues was brave enough to do it. 鈥淚 decided to take the leap, but the transition into tech wasn鈥檛 easy. Back then, the industry was still very much dominated by men. I was the only woman, and I was judged because of that. I was told I talk too much, have a different style, and maybe wasn鈥檛 even suited to be in this area. But I was confident that this was the place for me. I wanted to be a woman in tech.鈥�

She worked hard to show that she was competent and had the skills to succeed. 鈥淚t is my belief that knowledge is power and the key to success. You must study and you have to take action to change your life,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚 am glad that there are opportunities to upskill.鈥�

Many Make Use of SAP鈥檚 Digital Skills Initiative

One opportunity to gain the digital skills needed to succeed in what鈥檚 to come is SAP鈥檚 latest . Launched in November 2022 with the goal of further lowering the barrier to accessing digital skills and reaching those who are currently underrepresented in tech, the initiative has been met with great interest. Around 4,000 women, people from ethnic minorities, or individuals from rural areas, for instance, have already applied online and started with . Following the completion of a course and thanks to SAP鈥檚 sponsorship of 10,000 free exam vouchers, they will be able to get a sought-after to help acquire a secure and well-paid job within the industry. And .

With 655,000 learners in 2021 and more than 1 million in 2022, hopes to bring a world-class learning experience to even more people with this initiative. But it doesn鈥檛 stop there. To take efforts further, 51风流is actively seeking partners and customers to explore sponsorship and internship options for some candidates who pass this certification exam. This can also lead to a full-time employment opportunity. Many of those will also be made available on the new , where 3 million members exchange on career advice and paths on a regular basis.

Employers Seek Tens of Thousands of Technology Consultants

As businesses rely on technology consultants to advise and manage the implementation of IT systems and provide guidance when training staff, the demand is set to increase in the coming years in this area. In the U.S. alone, there were more than 50,000 technology consultant job postings in the last year.*

To make a valuable contribution to upskilling future technology consultants, 51风流has also launched a partnership with Coursera at the end of 2022. One hundred and ten million subscribers of all backgrounds can prepare for an entry-level on Coursera鈥檚 Web site 鈥� no college degree or prior experience required. The certificate comprises seven courses, four of which are available today with the rest rolling out over the coming months. Altogether, the certificate can be completed in about five to six months and more than 9,000 Coursera subscribers have already enrolled in the courses.

鈥淣ever Too Late to Learn Something New鈥�

鈥淚 have seen a lot of people who were waiting for the right moment to steer their lives in a new direction,鈥� Rodrigues explains. 鈥淭hey were not ready for something new, or they were simply afraid. But living in the past is not good. Yesterday can鈥檛 do anything for you; today can. But I wish I had known that back then. I wish I had been more disciplined in the past. Time is valuable.鈥�

Rodrigues was and still is curious. She set out to learn something new and built a successful work life as a woman in tech. She has navigated an industry that is still very much dominated by men and has fought against gender stereotypes with discipline and trust in her abilities. She never settles for less and that makes her a role model for many women worldwide. Her advice is loud and clear: 鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late to learn something new. I can only encourage you to learn and to go for the next challenge. Strive for something higher, and you will grow 鈥� professionally but, most importantly, personally.鈥�

You can read Rodrigues鈥� full blog post on her .

*Lightcast™ (2022, US-only), Job Postings report (September 2021 鈥� September 2022). Retrieved October 2022.

Sabine Benz is global VP and head of Product Engagement at 51风流Learning.

Here are four exciting trends that provide tech teams and organizations a great opportunity to grow.

The Gig Economy Provides More Opportunity Than We May Recognize

Freelance work is on the rise with a sizable of Americans, nearly 58 million adults, identifying as independent workers.

What鈥檚 most exciting about this trend is that it enables organizations to more easily expand or reduce their workforce based on specific company demand while also providing an opportunity for organizations to diversify their teams and ultimately develop more creative and innovative work. There鈥檚 a common perception that the benefit of freelance work is purely cost savings, but there鈥檚 a real opportunity for organizations to take advantage of this upward trend to both maintain flexible workstreams as well as incorporate diverse thinking.

Low-Code/No-Code Platforms Have Great Potential to Widen the Talent Pool

For decades, there have been limited routes for businesses to implement application development, such as buying apps ready-made from an external vendor or building them from scratch using skilled developers. Today, we鈥檙e witnessing a rise in development alternatives that bring coding capabilities to users who may be interested in code, though may not have advanced experience or a formal degree.

Companies can capitalize on this growing trend by dedicating space for the use of no-code/low-code platforms, supporting employee learning and development opportunities surrounding these platforms, ultimately reducing strain on IT departments and leading increased innovation. If you like to learn more about SAP鈥檚 free offerings to upskill on low-code/no-code app development, please visit the .

AI Training Cannot Be Overlooked

While the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is not necessarily something new, its continued role in making certain tasks automated will require individuals to be comfortable performing their work alongside AI, solving problems in new ways. Companies can no longer overlook the need to provide AI training for their tech employees. Doing so will unlock essential skills employees need to utilize this advanced technology and allow employees to uplevel their work and spend more time on strategic work.

Navigating the Hybrid Workspace

With a staggering , it is safe to say that hybrid work is here to stay. The hybrid model can offer numerous advantages such as flexibility and cost benefits, yet this model can challenge employees and managers alike as it still hasn鈥檛 been perfected.

As hybrid work environments increasingly become the norm, companies must provide tech workers with sufficient training and guidance to navigate this new and constantly changing model. This could look like trainings on setting boundaries while working remotely or setting internal hybrid work expectations as a company, such as when meetings can and cannot be scheduled and how to take advantage of in-person moments or intentional brainstorming and innovation. Even though we鈥檝e been working throughout the last two or more years of the pandemic, it鈥檚 important to recognize that the hybrid workplace trend is a specific challenge itself that must be specifically addressed as opposed to letting employees self-navigate.

Technology is rapidly evolving. Simultaneously, the pandemic has witnessed a larger workplace transformation than ever before. In this moment of significant change, we must keep a pulse on how these trends affect both organizations as a whole and their employers, being proactive in offering the learning and development opportunities necessary for employees to thrive.

Sabine Benz is vice president and head of Product Engagement for 51风流Learning.

51风流is committed to setting individuals and teams up for success by creating opportunities to develop and hone new capabilities and ways of thinking. As part of this mission, we鈥檝e expanded , a service designed to help customers get enabled on innovation frameworks and mindsets and apply these to build an internal culture around innovative and agility.

Empowering New Ways of Thinking

Available for companies of all sizes and from all industries, 51风流Innovate to Win is an innovation enablement and coaching service that helps companies to tackle their individual business challenges. We piloted the program in the Middle East and North Africa region, and have now expanded to support enterprises around the globe with virtual, in-person, and hybrid format options.

The customized service enables teams within organizations to adopt Design Thinking 鈥� defined by as a human-centered, iterative, team-based mindset that leads to breakthrough innovations 鈥� and to build digital prototypes using 51风流technologies. It also uniquely includes Business Model Innovation, Blue Ocean strategy, positive psychology, and creative coaching.

The standard program is delivered in seven different modules over the course of six weeks. With an emphasis on learning by doing, users complete field work in between each module to apply their learnings. This culminates in the final module when they then pitch the concepts they鈥檝e developed to be utilized in real-world situations. 51风流also creates a 鈥渕aturity assessment,鈥� or checklist, to help teams stay on track to achieve their objectives.

Supporting IT and Business Professionals 听

51风流Innovate to Win is also designed for different types of professionals. First, the programming can be geared to people specializing in IT who want to collaborate more efficiently with the business side of an organization. With 51风流Innovate to Win, IT professionals are better equipped to communicate with different kinds of teams and move from conversations centered on tech requirements to those focused on outcomes.

On the other hand, business professionals can leverage 51风流Innovate to Win to build digital skills and IT-inspired mindsets. In doing so, both business and IT teams can speak the same language to foster an innovation culture across the broader company.

Propelling Future Success

As the described, to achieve learning goals, there is now a greater focus on developing growth mindsets and capabilities, rather than role-specific training. With the coaching from 51风流Innovate to Win, teams are prepared 鈥� and empowered 鈥� to creatively explore solutions to unique business challenges that arise down the line.

We continue to see customers benefit from a personalized 51风流Innovate to Win curriculum. Vicky Hasioti, 51风流Innovate to Win program director, noted: 鈥淭hrough 51风流Innovate to Win, we have already supported our customers to create more than 250 low-fidelity prototypes for new solutions and road maps in an effort to solve business challenges and improve their companies鈥� business models.鈥�

In one example, in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Future Foundation utilized 51风流Innovate to Win in a series of workshops. Yaqoob Al-Zaabi from the Strategy Department at Dubai Future Foundation said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a surprisingly great experience! It really helped me think in ways that I have never thought before. It also gave me a sense of self-confidence to express myself and give feedback. The content was very clear and everything had a practical aspect and purpose which gave me actionable skills that I can take with me into my job.”

With the expansion of 51风流Innovate to Win, 51风流will support more customers around the world in their journeys to cultivate thriving innovation cultures that ultimately generate greater value for stakeholders in the future.

Q: In your article for the World Economic Forum, you discuss the importance of connecting business strategy to workforce skills. Can you share what this looks like and why it鈥檚 so essential?

A: Every company plots out its business strategy. But how often does it think about how this relates and aligns with its people strategy and strategic workforce planning and skill building?

For example, if our strategy is to use to make our products smarter, we must simultaneously be asking ourselves how we can on the required skills to drive this vision.

Skill training shouldn鈥檛 be an afterthought. Instead, by connecting skills and strategy from the very beginning, companies can proactively adapt and more effectively position themselves for long-term success.

How does an organization develop skills for the future when things are changing so frequently and we can鈥檛 possibly know what the world will look like in the next couple of years?

As we saw with , things may go differently than predicted. Companies must embrace ambiguity and disruption when it comes to skills for the future. A recent article in the noted, 鈥淚f you focus on building individual micro skills, you may be missing the bigger picture.鈥� Indeed, there are 鈥榚xpiration dates鈥� on technical skills as innovation emerges, so companies must establish a culture that encourages agility and experimentation in the workforce 鈥� and, not least, motivates continuous learning 鈥� in order to yield sustainable success. Soft skills like dealing with uncertainty, staying curious, as well as embracing and tolerating ambiguity are the foundation of employees being ready for the future. They can then quickly and continuously keep up the relevant hard skills.

asserts that the in our technology-driven world is about 鈥渃reating an environment where organizations can optimize human potential鈥� and 鈥渆mpowering workers with agency and choice over what they do, unleashing their interests and passions.鈥� What this means is that the ultimate skill is being able to continuously learn in a constantly changing business environment. Fostering agile, innovative mindsets and curiosity throughout the workforce 鈥� promoting not only the need to learn, but the want to learn 鈥� helps companies to think big and earn a competitive edge.

How do offerings at 51风流help support strategic workforce planning and continuous learning?

At SAP, we value ongoing learning as part of the foundation for success. In the fast-moving tech sector where skill demand changes faster than in other industries, we鈥檙e constantly evolving our learning offerings to support the hard and soft skills needed to help people stay competitive.

Inside SAP, for example, we look at a long and successful track record in deploying skills management to effective resource management in our consulting business and are now evolving this to support dynamic and forward-looking workforce planning and development.

Our customers can benefit from our experience as we are incorporating the best practices we learned in people and skills management into our 51风流SuccessFactors solutions. When it comes to helping our customers and partners build and sustain 51风流product skills, our digital learning offerings, and , work to provide easy-to-use, engaging content for learners to explore, build, and maintain relevant skills. Additionally, we help support career planning around the skills that learners are honing, working to provide the right learning journey targeted to each learner鈥檚 goals.

Our mission is to create learning and development opportunity for all across the 51风流ecosystem. We aim to empower鈥痚veryone to successfully build 51风流software skills using future-oriented content delivered in different formats to fit individual ways of learning. By better aligning strategic workforce planning and business strategy at the onset, as well as becoming laser-focused on a workplace culture that values agility and curiosity, businesses can get ahead of the skills curve.

We sat down with Max Wessel, executive vice president and chief learning officer of SAP, to discuss how the company helps users across its entire ecosystem learn, grow, and succeed through new, affordable learning offerings.

Q: Can you tell us about the momentum we鈥檝e made so far this year in terms of new 51风流offerings that focus on learning?

A: Our focus this year has been on lowering the barrier of access to learning. We want every individual user to find and benefit from the most relevant, up-to-date training across the 51风流portfolio. You can see the immense progress through two examples. First, we made it easier than ever before for students to access 51风流Learning. And second, we optimized our offerings to support 51风流PartnerEdge program partners with tailored learning. Both new offerings feature a wide variety of learning content, hands-on practice on live 51风流learning systems, and social and collaborative learning environments to help ensure that every learner can stay current on 51风流skills and the latest innovations.

SAP鈥檚 commitment to drive knowledge throughout the ecosystem can be seen in the numbers. Together with our learners, we celebrated 5 million course enrollments on openSAP, our free learning platform. I鈥檓 also incredibly proud that we expanded our job skills-building program, People to Work by SAP, to equip first-time job seekers as well as those in career transitions with the skills and certification they need to reenter the job market. And this is just the beginning.

Why is now the right time for SAP鈥檚 commitment to lowering the barrier of access for every learner?

According to the , by 2030, more than 1 billion people will require reskilling and by 2022, 42% of skills are expected to change. The research also highlights that 鈥渕illions of people are already being left behind.鈥� All of this highlights a critical need for reskilling and upskilling. That鈥檚 real human cost. People struggling to take care of themselves and their families.

With a cloud business growing at rapid pace, we can make a difference here. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 the right time for 51风流to step up 鈥� because we know 51风流skills can make all of those struggling to find work more resilient. Consider our program, which trains unemployed job seekers for a new future. Whether one is switching from years of being a warehouse worker or rejoining the workforce after raising a family, we can help people reach a better life.

In my role as chief learning officer, I鈥檓 committed to our mission to make each person鈥檚 learning experience with 51风流easier and truly put the learner at the center of all that we do. Through more engaging content and multi-faceted experiences, we can meet learners where and how they learn best to ultimately enable more people and accelerate transformation.

What can learners expect next from SAP?

As part of our effort to lower the barrier and create a simplified and engaging experience, we鈥檙e piloting a new experience for 51风流Learning. For the new experience, we鈥檝e designed the content and experience to be efficient, enjoyable, and relevant. It puts the individual learner at the center and their goals at the forefront鈥攚hether they鈥檙e looking to obtain a new skill or update their knowledge on the latest 51风流solutions. This new offering will provide learning content covering the and, as new technology evolves, more guides, content, and functions will be added to the 51风流Learning site.

Our evolving suite of learning offerings aims to provide opportunity for all. A dynamic and upskilled workforce is crucial for success in tomorrow鈥檚 economy, and I鈥檓 incredibly excited for what鈥檚 ahead as we work to accelerate learning and the of the future.

Q: Can you tell us what is new about 51风流Learning Hub, partner edition?

Max Wessel: 51风流Learning Hub, partner edition, is our all-new, one-stop-shop for 51风流PartnerEdge program partners to develop, cultivate, and validate their 51风流skills. This is the first time we鈥檝e created an environment exclusively for partners that houses all 51风流product learning content, training systems, certification opportunities, and partner-specific enablement content in an affordable, single-priced package.

Could you expand on what this means for partners?

Karl Fahrbach: The new edition is built based on partner feedback and a key initiative within our Next-Generation Partnering efforts. We are launching this as part of SAP鈥檚 ongoing commitment to investing in and equipping partners with the relevant tools they need to drive customer success. Enabling partners with the right skills — along with providing the opportunity to validate their skills in the marketplace via our certifications — enhances our partners’ ability to deliver value to customers and to market their expertise accordingly. Furthermore, we generate trust in our ecosystem among our customers.

By enhancing the learning and certification journey for our partners and by increasing the opportunity to access these resources, partners are better positioned than ever before to leverage the market opportunity available to them.

How is this new offering designed to meet the needs of today鈥檚 partners in 51风流PartnerEdge?

MW: We designed this offering by listening to our partners and our customers. We heard that partners wanted a streamlined way to both train their people and help spur innovation for their customers. With one flat per-learner price, we have lowered the barriers to access, making the partner edition of 51风流Learning Hub available for all 51风流PartnerEdge members, regardless of size. Now, their subject matter experts can obtain and maintain the skills that their business requires across 51风流solution areas.

51风流Learning Hub, partner edition, combines expert-led and peer-to peer learning, hands-on practice with the latest 51风流software releases and innovation, and opportunities to obtain 51风流Global Certification. The content is tailored for partners鈥� specific goals, and where they and their customers are in their digital transformation journeys. The opportunities for certification are especially critical, as a recent found that organizations are better positioned to accomplish business objectives, achieve shorter deployment times, and face fewer critical issues when the professionals doing the deployment are certified.

The current global pandemic is accelerating an already growing trend of digital transformation, as found in a recent survey, so there is an even greater need for partners to continuously update their relevant skills. As many partners in 51风流PartnerEdge continue to work remotely, we have built this offering so that users can access all learning content and features wherever and whenever they learn best.

Altogether, this solution meets the enablement and performance needs of partners and will continue to evolve as new 51风流products, solutions, and innovations are released. With certifications in SAP鈥檚 latest technological advances via this exclusive edition of 51风流Learning Hub, partners can stand out from the crowd as the preferred choice for customers.

Why is it essential to have partner-specific and continuous learning content for 51风流partners?

KF: Today, it is critical to keep up with the rapid pace at which innovations and new solutions regularly emerge. To remain relevant and effective, partners must keep the skills of their workforce鈥攁nd recognized certifications for those skills鈥攃urrent. According to the , technology is expected to transform upwards of 1 billion jobs throughout the next decade. It is clear that having and maintaining up-to-date skills is a necessity for partners鈥� tool kits — not simply a nice-to-have.

Enabling partners with proficiency in the most up-to-date skills and certifications that align with their specific industry and business needs also helps to further differentiate them in the marketplace and outperform the competition. As on the top workforce trends driving organizations in 2021 explains, 鈥渆mpowering workers with agency鈥� creates more value. When enterprises shift to a greater focus on their workforce鈥檚 learning, their teams are more equipped to 鈥渄rive growth and navigate uncertainty鈥� moving forward.

By providing tailored, continuous learning opportunities through 51风流Learning Hub, partner edition, our aim is to build on the existing partner engagement framework and maintain the best in class partner ecosystem that continually empowers successful customer outcomes.

We鈥檙e looking forward to providing this resource to help drive success for partners and customers alike in the year ahead.

Sabine Benz is vice president and head of Outbound Go-to-Market for 51风流Knowledge and Education.

This offer will support consultants, administrators, and developers with a focus on 51风流Cloud Platform.

Supporting Learning Journeys

The 48-hour event will be hosted on December 8-9, but the 51风流Learning Hub, event edition, for 51风流TechEd will last long beyond the event to support participants鈥� learning journeys, starting on Dec 1 until March 31, 2021. For the first time at an 51风流TechEd event, end-to-end Learning Journeys 鈥� with all included training content and courses to prepare for an 51风流Global Certification exam 鈥� will be offered to attendees for free.

Once registered, participants will receive access to , including:

• The 51风流TechEd Learning Room, allowing learners to delve into session topics, exchange with 51风流experts, and network with other attendees
• Four听Learning Journeys with full learning content to help upskill end-to-end for an 51风流Global Certification
• Complementary 51风流TechEd Learning Journeys with learning content tailored to 51风流TechEd tracks
• Live sessions per 51风流TechEd track, hosted by 51风流experts

Enabling Certification

What鈥檚 more, this year鈥檚 51风流Learning Hub, event edition, can help 51风流TechEd attendees build or deepen their knowledge with four Learning Journeys that all lead toward 51风流Global Certification. Registrants can gain 51风流software expertise with quality digital, collaborative, and expert-led training for these key areas of the 51风流portfolio:

• 51风流Cloud Platform Integration
• 51风流Cloud Platform Enterprise Extensions
• ABAP programming for 51风流HANA
• 51风流UI5 and 51风流Fiori applications

With this edition, registrants can also stay current and prepare for certification with content in multiple formats and languages 鈥� unlocking the full power of 51风流solutions and faster innovation with developer training built by 51风流for its solutions.

The event edition of 51风流Learning Hub for 51风流TechEd also offers a discounted certification path. Two 51风流Global Certification attempts will be offered to registrants at a substantially lower price. Along with expert content, 51风流values opportunities for achieving certification. In fact, a recent outlined the benefits of obtaining an IT certification, such as growth in career opportunities 鈥� like a 28% increase in responsibilities and 55% increase in ability to transfer IT knowledge at work 鈥� and a potential 35% increase in salary.

During the months of December and January, registrants can participate in short live sessions through the 51风流TechEd Learning Rooms in the 51风流Learning Hub, event edition, to fast-track the path to certification.

Through these opportunities, 51风流TechEd provides learners all they need to become acknowledged 51风流developers and ultimately expand their knowledge and skill sets to support and impact the intelligent enterprise ecosystem.

.

For those interested in building 51风流solution skills and getting access to all 51风流training materials, 51风流is offering 10% off on a 12-month 24/7 subscription to 51风流Learning Hub.

Sabine Benz is the vice president and head of Outbound Go-to-Market for 51风流Knowledge and Education.

Companies need skilled personnel for successful digital transformation. While 90% of chief experience officers (CXOs) say digital transformation is important or highly important for business strategy, only 15% say they have enough people with the needed skills. In fact, a recent study from reports that 87% of companies are either already facing skill gaps or expect gaps to develop within the next five years.

The Changed Learning Environment

While learning and skill acquisition may previously have been viewed as a check in the box, both employers and employees are now aware of the power it holds to set apart both their businesses and themselves. Plus, training is now viewed as an ongoing cycle where learners must constantly stay up to date on the skills to stay competitive and to support driving innovation.

The changed perspective on IT learning, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote work and learning, has highlighted the growing need to shift and meet learners where they are. This includes offering learners tailored experiences and opportunities so that they can learn at their own pace, from anywhere.

51风流addresses this through 51风流Training and Adoption, a comprehensive portfolio of learner-centric offerings and experiences that provide learners with the necessary tools to create a competitive edge among their peers. Beyond that, 51风流offers skill validation that helps learners exemplify their mastery of the course to the outside world. features more than 150 specialized certifications in nine languages and shareable digital badges that represent an esteemed 听acknowledgement of excellence for IT professionals.

Value in Certification

While some learners are intrinsically motivated, others may need additional incentive. This is where certification comes in. Certification has created a wealth of opportunity with a high return on investment (ROI) beyond just obtaining the skills needed for career success, such as driving career growth and earning potential and creating a competitive edge in the job market.

According to Harshvardhan Raut, at global consulting firm Capgemini, 鈥�51风流Global Certification helps to develop relevant connections, access valuable information directly from the source, and assists with career growth.鈥� Abhishek Paul, at Capgemini, said, 鈥�51风流Global Certification opened up a massive sea of opportunities for me. It brings a certain level of respect and is an excellent step toward securing my future.鈥�

A recent reported the benefits of an IT certification, with a 35% increase in salary and a 27% increase of responsibilities for the individual. The value of an employee being certified also has a positive impact on organizations, with a 44% increase in quality work output, a 55% increase in the ability to transfer knowledge to work situations, and a 67% increase in self-confidence in using new skills.

Nagesh Polu, at YASH Technologies, described the 51风流Global Certification as an important benchmark of expertise. Polu explained, 听鈥淸It] helps you gain key 51风流knowledge and the confidence of the customers.鈥�

Individuals across the board attest to the value of certification, with 91% even claiming that the professional credibility in the workplace gained through certification is worth the investment.

According to Aakashi Sunil Shah, at Capgemini, 鈥�51风流Global Certification gives more and better opportunities to individuals. There鈥檚 a certain level of recognition and respect among peers, professionally and personally.鈥� Beyond just recognition and respect, another stated, 鈥渢hose who have on their resume are a priority for recruiters.鈥�

As organizations become more digitally advanced and continue on their paths to becoming intelligent enterprises, their employees must follow suit. While the opportunity for continuous learning is available, those who pursue certification across the IT industry prove to be more valuable to themselves, their organizations, and the industry at large.

Get more information and insight from 51风流experts .

Sabine Benz is the vice president and head of Outbound Go-to-Market for 51风流Knowledge and Education.

The lab provides a working space built on design-thinking principles to stimulate and encourage innovative thinking, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing in the region and across the Gulf. It is part of a larger program of 51风流Next-Gen Lab locations, where 51风流partners with leading universities accelerate 鈥渋nnovation with purpose鈥� in classrooms, provide students with the knowledge and skills for a digital future, and spearhead recruiting in their respective areas.

Heiderose Moossen, manager for Vocational Training (Dual System) at the university and long-time Omani resident, has been investing much of her time and effort in developing vocational training and education opportunities for youth. It was energizing to hear from her and some of her students about the origins of the 51风流Next-Gen Lab in Oman and how it is making an impact.

Equipping Students with Digital-Ready Skills

Since initially launching as a pilot program, Moossen has successfully trained around 75 students to date, with a 100% passing rate, all achieving the 51风流Global Certification. With an , individuals can distinguish themselves among the best and become customers鈥� trusted 51风流software experts of choice.

To help prepare students with the right knowledge and practical skills needed to excel in a digital-forward workforce, Moossen ran various lectures based on the 51风流course 鈥淚ntegrated Business Processes in 51风流S/4HANA鈥� in 2019 and 2020.

The course covers various aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and introduces students to different concepts and processes that are found at a corporate organizational level. It teaches students both business vocabulary and technical terminology, equipping them with skills that will help differentiate them in the workplace. With an 51风流certification, the students and graduates can set themselves apart in the job market.

Moossen believes it is necessary to bridge the gap between the education sector and the workplace, which is why she started integrating 51风流courses into her work. 鈥淣ot only do the courses provide students with the knowledge they need to work in the digital future, but it also provides them with the opportunity for critical and analytical thinking 鈥� skills that are necessary to be successful in an international marketplace beyond Oman and the Gulf region.鈥�

Michael Smith, a student with a background in tourism and international business explained how beneficial the course was for him before working at a small and midsize enterprise (SME): 鈥淚t was extremely fascinating to get a sneak peek into the way corporations operate on a day-to-day basis and discover what the future of business will look like. Most importantly, I learned how the various units and departments of a company mesh together in an efficient and streamlined fashion, giving me a comprehensive overview of the entire modern business process.鈥�

Shaikha Al Hinai, a computer science graduate, has been able to expand her experience with 51风流by taking other courses and certifications thanks to the knowledge she acquired through this first course.

Preparing Students for the Future

Beyond teaching her students technology and IT skills, Moossen wanted to make sure she set them up for success in the future. Throughout the program and partnership with SAP, she organized events with students and industry experts, providing a forum to discuss the changes taking place across Omani society and the professional sector.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 necessary for students to gain exposure to the workplace before actually entering it so they can begin to understand how companies are set up and how processes are run,鈥� Moossen said. 鈥淲e need to prepare them for what to expect so that when they graduate, they are ready to enter the workforce. We hear too often about graduates who need about a year or so to acclimate to professional work, which isn鈥檛 beneficial for the company, student, and the industry overall.鈥�

This out-of-classroom support also extended to study groups which offered coaching and mentorship to students, especially as courses moved to remote, online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淚t is always important for me to help keep my students鈥� spirits high, and I always thought about developing the students as humans and making sure they not only understood the content, but also the right values.鈥�

What we have seen in Oman through Moossen and her students is a model for inspiring the future generation of talent through the 51风流ecosystem. As the company helps fuel its customers鈥� paths to becoming intelligent enterprises, it will also continue to cultivate young talent around the world with to help fulfill its mission.

Sabine Benz is vice president and head of Outbound Go-to-Market for 51风流Knowledge and Education.

Zauke also discusses how 51风流Training and Adoption enables customers, partners, and learners to achieve personal and professional success with enhanced trainings and learning offerings.

Q: What has been your proudest moment since taking on the role of chief knowledge officer? Can you tell us more about your vision for the years ahead?

A: I can鈥檛 point to one single moment where I鈥檝e felt most proud of the work our team is doing. I have these moments every day. To see our customers, partners, and users continuously benefit from the learning offerings we provide brings me great joy and satisfaction. I鈥檓 very proud to hear from those taking advantage of our offerings, and how the trainings have truly affected the way they work and enhanced their businesses.

In looking ahead, I鈥檇 be remiss to ignore the fact that the next 12 months will indeed be different. We鈥檙e living in a truly unprecedented time, but that hasn鈥檛 changed our vision at 51风流Training and Adoption. Our goal is to provide the 51风流ecosystem 鈥� for example, 51风流customers and partners but also academic students 鈥� with the knowledge and skills they need to successfully adopt our products and solutions, while realizing the benefit of driving the desired business outcome. Amid a global pandemic and so much uncertainty in the world, this only rings true.

How is 51风流Training and Adoption positioned to meet the needs of today鈥檚 and tomorrow鈥檚 learner?

The move to the Intelligent Enterprise is a must for corporations that wish to continuously innovate and remain competitive, and it鈥檚 important to remember that it鈥檚 the people who power this 鈥渋ntelligence鈥� and innovation. Businesses must invest in their people鈥檚 learning to ensure success, as well as provide training and learning resources that fit their needs.

Today and tomorrow鈥檚 learners are digitally savvy, curious, interested in professional growth, and motivated to invest their time in growing their skills. They understand the importance of continuous learning to stay current, and 51风流Training and Adoption is well-positioned to address this. With our enhanced portfolio of learner-centered trainings, we鈥檙e providing our ecosystem with a learning experience that is uniquely designed to drive software and technology adoption, help employees achieve professional goals, and ultimately deliver transformative business outcomes for their companies. We support customers and partners no matter where they are in their learning journeys and provide the flexibility they need to learn at their own pace 鈥� from anywhere, at any time.

Why is learning and development a business-critical issue that needs C-Suite attention? What is at stake if C-Suite is missing from the discussion?

We鈥檙e increasingly hearing about building up digital skills, reskilling, and technological adoption as drivers to innovate effectively. For organizations across the board, innovation does not only affect their top lines, but also has an impact on their bottom lines. To address constant market changes, reach new customers, and drive product innovation, the workforce needs to be continuously trained to adopt new and different skills that will allow employees to do their jobs more effectively and help them stay on pace with the most recent trends and innovations. As an organization relies on its workforce to drive innovation and become an intelligent enterprise, the topic of continuous learning spans the entire enterprise and must be addressed at the very top.

We are currently seeing a more concerted effort from the C-suite to address the issue of upskilling and reskilling, as to their businesses. According to a survey by McKinsey, nearly all executives have classified closing the potential skills gap as a priority for their organizations while about one-third stated it is among their top three priorities. CEOs and senior executives are recognizing the power that both training and learning have on their people and on their business objectives.

Digital transformation requires upskilling the workforce, but some also make the case that the C-suite needs as much training, and maybe more, to drive change and innovation. What do you think about the notion of building up skills and upskilling from the top down?

I think it鈥檚 important to do both, and I think upskilling the differing levels within a corporation looks different across the board. The training and upskilling required to keep those in the C-suite abreast of the dynamic market changes is different than the new skills junior and mid-level executives need to continue to adopt and do their jobs better.

Both CEOs and CFOs need to take part in continuous training that will allow them to innovate their business models and processes to meet changing demands and customer needs within their industries. They will need to acquire different digital skills that will help them define the future of their businesses as they continue to innovate and accelerate. The employee base needs continuous training and upskilling to adopt new software and technologies that help realize its benefits and increase productivity in a way that provides even more value to customers. As businesses continue to transform to meet the demands of the future, we will continue to see upskilling both from the top down and from the bottom up. This is what will enable corporations to become truly intelligent.

To learn more, read today’s news: “51风流Training and Adoption Enhances Digital Learning to Foster People and Business Success.”