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鈥淭he wonderful thing about this generation of AI is that it is accessible,鈥� SAP鈥檚 Julia White said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to be a deep technologist to interact with it…and benefit from it.鈥�

White joins experts from Deloitte, BCG, and StartSteps Digital Education to discuss society鈥檚 scramble to get the right people into new jobs. This involves reskilling, upskilling, and redeploying workers as well as necessary skills like critical thinking and communications 鈥� not to mention a shift in thinking to accept this new and often intimidating technology.

Tune in to hear more from White, Deloitte’s Lara Abrash, BCG’s Judith Wallenstein, and StartSteps’ Mozamel Aman.

Her story begins with the vision of another individual, one who also received an impactful mentorship early in life.

The Possibilities of Early Mentorship

Tony Buehler, senior IT manager of 51风流at HISD and founder of the 51风流(OneSource) Student Internship Program, found his passion and future career back in 1995, when a mentor suggested he research the up-and-coming software company known as SAP. He was told that 51风流would likely become foundational to just about every business infrastructure and could lead to a long and fruitful career.

Nearly 20 years later, in 2014, Buehler brought his burgeoning 51风流expertise to the HISD IT department. At the time, he was sent to an IT management class that explored the theme, 鈥淲hat can you do in your department to help students?鈥� Buehler realized that upon leaving school, students would be exposed to 51风流processes in some manner at most businesses. He suggested implementing a hands-on curriculum for teaching 51风流to high school students. With the approval of his superiors, he launched an experimental extracurricular program 鈥� with a mentorship-based approach 鈥� for junior- and senior-level students.

The eight-week commitment required interns to attend meetings and training sessions, working with their mentors on resolving problems and making enhancements in the HISD production system. Remarkably, by the fifth week, interns were able to analyze and solve real customer issues alongside their mentor.

The Growth of the Internship Program

The internship program started with just eight students in its first year 鈥� five from Sam Houston MSTC High School and three from Scarborough High School. To date, over 100 students have graduated from the program and continued on to pursue a college education. The eighth-largest school district in the U.S., economically disadvantaged students. For many, the pursuit of a college education, let alone a career in technology, seemed like an impossible dream. But Buehler and his team believed that internships using a mentoring model could change the game. Their goal was to empower youth with the realization that they could understand 51风流and apply that knowledge towards a college path and future career.

Within four years, HISD鈥檚 51风流internship program became the first K-12 program to join the Global University Alliance. The alliance is a worldwide consortium of over 3,400 colleges and universities, with a focus on enterprise and industry standards, research, and best practices. HISD is proud to be the only non-college-level member.

鈥淭his program is a big deal for us,鈥� Buehler said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing something no one else is doing. Our internship program looks at each student as a diamond in the rough. It鈥檚 great to see these students sparkle when they realize that they have the ability and desire to pursue a career in the technology field for their future.鈥�

The Groundwork for Purpose and Success

Jennifer certainly represents an 51风流program success story. With her years of experience attained through classes and work as a summer intern, she is well prepared for an 51风流career. Buehler knew that with her knowledge, she would be a perfect fit within the HISD IT department. He even adjusted an open position to entry-level status so Jennifer could qualify to apply. Out of 43 applicants, her superior r茅sum茅 made her the obvious choice.

As one of the first students in the program, she credits the internship with fully preparing her for the successful transition to college IT courses. In fact, her level of 51风流knowledge was so comprehensive, she was asked to teach first-level classes by one of her professors. Jennifer is quick to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of her mentors and the life-changing merits of the program.

鈥淭y Matthews was the mentor that oversaw setting us up with the right person depending on our interests,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he was always someone with whom we could comfortably express our concerns, and she always guided us in the right direction. Even after the internship, she would always reach out to connect and guided me to come back every summer for the internship. As a result, I spent six years working as a summer intern. This program has been a success due in big part to her contribution and kindness to the students. Tony also made us feel very welcome and would include us in his weekly team meetings to make us feel like real employees. His promotion of that kind of opportunity and consideration truly made me feel like I could become a business professional.鈥�

Today, Jennifer is embracing her additional role as an ambassador of the program by speaking to area high schools about the merits of 51风流training and careers in IT. She stands before them as a testimony of what can be achieved. With future plans to expand the program across the rest of the district, eight schools may offer 51风流training within the next two or three years. Jennifer says she is ready to pay it forward by sharing her journey as motivation for other students to pursue their aspirations and hopes for a fulfilling career. She has come full circle 鈥� from student, to graduate, to 51风流professional, and, now, to inspirational mentor.

Steve Risseeuw is national vice president of State, Local, Education, & Healthcare at SAP.听

Through Code Unnati, Gowramma has not only been exposed to a world of possibilities and opportunities available to her when she graduates, but has also gained confidence in her skills. Gowramma is not alone in thinking that Code Unnati has had a positive effect on her confidence and opened up countless possibilities as a young person taking her first steps in her career.

Ashish attended a Code Unnati training where he was inspired to come up with solutions to problems that his community was facing. He thought of the large number of single-use polypropylene bags that were being thrown away. He chose to address this problem, as it was affecting his community directly 鈥� these bags were either being burnt or buried in the ground, and there was no way to recycle them. Ashish has since made a plan to start recycling polypopylene bags and has been connected to financial assistance to buy the machinery. He credits Code Unnati and its team for helping him realize a solution to his city鈥檚 problem.

From Gowramma, who is eager to begin exploring new opportunities in her career, to Ashish, who thinks outside the box in search of a solution to a more sustainable environment, Code Unnati is powering opportunity through digital inclusion.

Launched in June 2017 with 51风流India Corporate Social Responsibility, is a corporate-to-citizen initiative to impart digital literacy among adolescents, citizens, and children and employable IT skills among youth. Through the initiative, they are getting that guiding light to see ahead to a bright future. This initiative is helping millions of youths think out of the box and work toward solving major social problems.

Developing digital skills has become critical to professional success; the core objective of Code Unnati is digital inclusion. When Code Unnati first launched, 90% of India鈥檚 population, or almost 1.2 billion people, were not digitally literate.鈥疐or young people to engage meaningfully in society, youth must be equipped with the skills and opportunities to advance their vision of a connected future. In our increasingly digital society, low information and communication technology skills continue to remain a barrier to employment. Inclusive, equitable development and economic growth requires building an enabling ecosystem that can provide and define career pathways. This can be best achieved through private sector collaborations including government organizations.鈥疘t is only by preparing youth with digital education and opportunities that the can be achieved.

The success stories of Gowramma, Ashish, and countless other youth, many of whom are the first in their entire generation to get jobs in the IT sector, say it is them who will lead change and pave the way for the future. They are determined to build their own future and become first-generation learners with a job in hand. This demonstrates the resilience and self-efficacy they have to achieve something in life and become a role model for their society.

We are celebrating all those young people who have emerged as an inspiration for others, because there is no one way to make a difference.

Shivani Sinha is audience relations associate of CSR for 51风流India subcontinent.
Gunjan Patel is regional director and head of CSR for 51风流India subcontinent.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate on Friday evening at the 51风流Arena in Mannheim, close to SAP鈥檚 German headquarters in Walldorf. Today, 50 years after it was founded, 51风流is the most successful German software company and the flagship of the German digital economy, Scholz said in a speech to some 850 invited guests.

SAP’s founding in 1972 was in keeping with the spirit of the times, the chancellor said. Enthusiasm for technological innovation, a spirit of renewal, and a political thaw during the Cold War shaped the world when the five 51风流founders sparked their own revolution with an idea. With standard software that maps all of a company鈥檚 business processes and makes data available in real time, they turned their startup company into the third largest independent software supplier in the world.

鈥淭oday, once again, we are experiencing tectonic shifts at high speed,鈥� Scholz said. Russia鈥檚 war of aggression against Ukraine has far-reaching consequences for security, energy supplies, and the global economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused profound social, political, and economic changes, he said.

At the same time, Germany is currently experiencing the biggest transformation of its economy since the beginning of industrialization. 鈥淭he transformation toward a digital and climate-neutral economy is both a challenge and a solution to current problems,鈥� Scholz said.

He appealed for cooperation between the government and the private sector to harness potential from research and innovation. The Corona-Warn-App developed by 51风流is just one example of the potential in digital solutions, he said.

Innovation Creates Hope

鈥淭he speed with which we are able to introduce innovation into society is of central importance to our competitiveness,鈥� Scholz explained. In crisis situations, there is always a danger that 鈥渕any cling to the past,鈥� the chancellor said. But now, he said, we are in 鈥渁 remarkable phase鈥� in which this is not happening. Steelworkers demand that their companies invest in new production technologies to remain competitive, he said. Workers in the automotive industry expect more commitment to electromobility from their corporations.

鈥淚f we can manage to move society forward with innovation, then we can create hope for our society, which is so existential,鈥� Scholz said.

Digital education is also an immensely important topic for mastering the challenges of the future, explained economics professor Ann-Kristin Achleitner. She took part in a roundtable discussion with Scholz and 51风流CEO Christian Klein.

However, digital education should not be reduced to equipping students with devices. Instead, it is about promoting digital skills, such as the ability to work in an agile manner. Like Klein, she is a member of the German government’s newly founded Future Council, which promotes innovation and dialogue between industry and science.

Klein, too, pleaded for close cooperation between government, business, and science. Only through cooperation can we find 鈥済lobal answers to global challenges,鈥� he said.

“Democracy, Freedom, Peace”

Kretschmann, Prime Minister of Germany鈥檚 state of Baden-W眉rttemberg, also sees SAP鈥榮 anniversary year as a turning point in history. The turn of the times is not leaving 51风流unscathed, Kretschmann emphasized. Europe must do everything in its power to control supply chains, become more independent in terms of raw materials and energy, and be independent and capable of acting in key areas.

One of those fields, he said, is information technology. 鈥淲e have to be able to imprint our own code on the algorithms, and this code is democracy, freedom, peace.鈥� In this regard, he said, policymakers are relying on close cooperation with the digital economy. For example, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is working on a national security strategy, recently visited SAP.

鈥淭he future will demand a lot from us,鈥� the prime minister explained. But he added that good solutions can be found by taking one鈥檚 blinders off, talking openly to each other, and developing tailor-made solutions together.

Collegial Culture and the Courage to Change

Solutions and a customer focus have always been at the heart of SAP鈥檚 credo, Christian said. These values have made 51风流what it is today, and 鈥渨e must always hold on to this part of our DNA.鈥� He himself learned from the founders the courage to change, challenge the status quo and 鈥渢he ability to reinvent yourself again and again.鈥�

In the past, technological advances, such as the , or global expansion have repeatedly required a bold approach from the company鈥檚 leadership. This is also true for SAP鈥檚 current move to a cloud-based strategy, which means a paradigm shift for the company.

It鈥檚 not always easy to convince customers of the need for change because they are so satisfied with their existing 51风流systems, Prime Minister Kretschmann explained, referring to customers that hesitate听when it comes to SAP鈥檚 shift to the cloud. 鈥淭he best is the enemy of the good, so 51风流has to beat itself, so to speak,鈥� he said.

Despite the current transformation we鈥檙e facing, Klein said, one must not forget to treat each other with respect and understanding, which is also a big part of SAP鈥檚 DNA. Referring to the company鈥檚 collegial culture as an inherent strength, he said only as a team can you meet the challenges that lie ahead. 鈥淚n these difficult times, we need more togetherness and the courage to change.鈥�

Photos courtesy of Ingo Cordes

Fascinated by technology throughout his school years, Garrett had already been working on a solution to automate paper-based front office processes that he saw firsthand at Chatsworth High School. With his teacher鈥檚 encouragement, Garrett entered his project in the 2015 competition, going on to win at the national level. He credited the valuable feedback from both judges and other entrants with helping him iterate and scale what has now become Sydney-based School Bytes.

鈥淚 was always interested in programming and computers, and my experience with YICTE provided the chance to refine my presentation skills, meet tech industry experts, and learn from like-minded contestants,鈥� said Garrett. 鈥淪eeing what others were working on and getting that exposure helped validate my ideas. I realized I could turn this into a viable business, and it ended up jump-starting my career.鈥�

Early Innovation Fun Leads to Tech Careers

51风流ANZ launched YICTE 12 years ago to help stoke the region鈥檚 next generation of technology leaders. Since then, almost 8,000 students from 850 schools across Australia and New Zealand have participated in YICTE competitions. YICTE is supported by , with help from universities, other corporate sponsors, and a long-running partnership with The Smith Family, Australia’s largest independent children’s education charity.

鈥淲e want to get children in primary and high school interested in and excited about STEM careers,鈥� said Pete Andrew, chief operating officer at . 鈥淭he competition shows them how they can use technology to solve actual problems in the world while having fun and unleashing their creativity.鈥�

Andrew said that contest participants have pursued STEM studies, with some going on to university and internships at 51风流ANZ. Similar to Garrett, others have founded of their own. Competition entries have evolved with community priorities, including sustainability, which was added as a prize category this year.

鈥淭he increase in sustainability-related projects in the competition has been phenomenal. You can see the energy and passion these youths have for important topics like environmental change,鈥� said Andrew. 鈥淚magine being a nine-year-old interacting with your friends and presenting to a panel of judges your creative ideas to create a more sustainable future for our planet. From SAP鈥檚 perspective, this aligns with our carbon-neutral commitment and .鈥�

Students Do Well Through Doing Good

YICTE Accelerator is among The Smith Family programs designed to help young people break the cycle of poverty through education. As part of the program, the charity provides teachers with resource support and professional development, so they can encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to explore career paths in tech. Students who participate in the competition are energized by developing digital tech projects that solve social issues while finding innovative solutions to real-world issues personally, locally, or nationally.

鈥淏eing able to creatively solve problems in their own communities is incredibly motivating for students,鈥� said Judy Barraclough, acting CEO at The Smith Family. 鈥淔or children who might not have Internet access or computers, the YICTE Accelerator program is a wonderful chance for them to develop digital skills, showcasing their initiative and innovation. I鈥檝e talked with many children who鈥檝e participated, and they are committed to their own achievement so they can give back and change the experience of others in their communities.鈥�

According to , children who have at least four exposures to career-based activities or insights during their schooling are much likelier to participate in employment beyond school. Barraclough had high praise for the partnerships that make this possible for the charity.

鈥淲e depend on the support of partners like 51风流to bring students incredible access to resources and professionals in the tech industry,鈥� she said.

Digital Transformation Through Education

Garrett鈥檚 passion for technology has come full circle. Following his YICTE competition win during the last year of high school, two schools interested in his solution immediately reached out to Garrett. School Bytes is a sponsor in this year鈥檚 virtual YICTE competition, providing judging and financial support for other aspiring youths. His advice to anyone thinking about a career in tech was simple.

鈥淛ust go for it and keep iterating. One of the most exciting aspects of being in high tech is the constant change,鈥� said Garrett. 鈥淏ringing administrative tasks into a modular, cloud subscription-based model provides schools with incredible time-saving efficiencies when it comes to managing events, sports, logistics and payments, and professional learning for teacher accreditation. To this day, we continue evolving with innovations like bringing machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) into our solutions.鈥�

Follow me: @smgaler
This blog also appeared on .

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鈥淚 gained a greater understanding of what organizations expect from job candidates,鈥� said Naganur. 鈥淭he courses in software development, marketing, communications, English, banking, and problem-solving have provided me with valuable knowledge to stand out in a competitive market, giving me greater career opportunities.鈥�

Naganur is among the over 1 million students educated at Code Unnati since launched the program four years ago. So far, it has trained over 1 million students ages 10 to 16 years in digital literacy; 65% of these children and adolescents were girls.

Partnerships Scale Equitable Digital Training

Code Unnati is among SAP鈥檚 global programs, in this case, supporting India鈥檚 digital readiness commitment. 51风流Labs India works with partners in government as well as the non-profit and private sectors, including customers and education, to bridge the immense digital divide between people in the country鈥檚 urban and rural communities. In addition to a digital-rich learning curriculum, the program offers students the opportunity for internships and employment at SAP.

鈥淲e have the incredible opportunity to help transform India from a developing to a developed economy,鈥� said Sindhu Gangadharan, senior vice president and managing director of 51风流Labs India. 鈥淲e鈥檙e driving significant engagements to support the digital-first mindset that鈥檚 reflected across numerous government initiatives. Code Unnati builds digital literacy among youth and equips them with employable skills for workforce readiness, particularly beyond large, metropolitan areas.鈥�

A total of over 6,000 youth have participated in the vocational curriculum, which includes learning future IT skills, such as data science and analytics, and next-gen technologies like and . Most importantly, an average of over 40% of program graduates obtain jobs after program completion.

Responsible, Inclusive Use of Technology

Code Unnati reflects just about every one of the Indian government鈥檚 鈥渄igital readiness for the next billion鈥� commitment, notably talent development, amped up investments in research and development, innovations for both India and the world, and inclusiveness. is among the groups leading this initiative, working with the government and companies like SAP.

鈥淲e want to leverage technology as best as possible to solve some of India鈥檚 biggest challenges,鈥� said Debjani Ghosh, president of NASSCOM. 鈥淎s we bring technology into pretty much everything we do, it can become an equalizer, as long as we start at the design stage to make sure that it鈥檚 truly inclusive across sectors, regardless of rural or urban, gender, culture, or religion.鈥�

Digital Literacy for India鈥檚 Specific Needs

Although India is digitally transforming like the rest of the world, the magnitude of its revolution is much bigger in scale and scope compared to many other regions. Ghosh said that talent development is among the government鈥檚 highest priorities, helping to build the population鈥檚 digital skills through public-private sector partnerships that provide training and education, mentoring, and internships.

鈥淲hether you call it a challenge or an opportunity, India has an amazing diversity of socioeconomic levels, cultures, religions, and languages,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to partnering with the government and companies like 51风流to build and foster ecosystems that use accelerators, mentorships, hackathons, and other opportunities to drive the IT charter for India.鈥�

Community-Wide Purpose Plus Business Profit

More than anything, Code Unnati reflects a commitment to purposeful business that positively impacts people鈥檚 lives.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about bringing technology into pretty much everything we do to make things easier and personalized, but also that we build and use the technology responsibly,鈥� said Ghosh.

Democratizing technology education is also central to SAP鈥檚 purpose-driven mission, helping organizations become intelligent enterprises using . Spearheading Code Unnati with funds and resources from customers, partners, and its own employees, 51风流is also at the forefront of India鈥檚 mission to provide disadvantaged students with digital skills for their future, as well as India鈥檚.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to quickly scale and achieve meaningful business outcomes with partners focusing on purpose plus profit,鈥� said Gangadharan. 鈥淲e鈥檙e helping everyone lift up society for the sustainable change that鈥檚 much needed in India.鈥�

In this context, Naganur鈥檚 singular educational experience is a shining example of the tremendous opportunities in store for India鈥檚 next billion people with digital empowerment.

Follow me: @smgaler
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