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The divide between the digital skills young people possess and the needs of employers is a big challenge and contributes to a high youth unemployment rate, particularly in the Global South.

The 51风流Educate to Employ initiative, set up as a digital pathway through Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), a public-private-youth ecosystem from UNICEF鈥檚 Generation Unlimited, aims to address this challenge and enable young people to gain skills for a digital economy.

That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e launching the Global Career Discovery Initiative, a new global partnership between 51风流and JA Worldwide that will reach tens of thousands of young people aged 17 to 24 in more than 30 countries. 

鈥淵oung people are entering a world of work that鈥檚 being reshaped by technology, automation, and artificial intelligence,鈥� says Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. 鈥淭his partnership ensures that youth鈥攅specially those from underserved communities鈥攄on鈥檛 just learn about the future of work but learn how to shape it.鈥�

From local impact to global scale 

Over the past 20 years, 51风流has partnered with JA through dozens of local and regional programs, from workshops in Colombia to mentoring sessions in Vietnam. These efforts have created a meaningful impact, but we recognized the opportunity to amplify our work by aligning globally. This unified partnership enables us to scale what works, streamline volunteer engagement, and ensure more consistent access to high-quality learning experiences for young people everywhere. 

JA Worldwide already delivers more than 19 million student learning experiences annually in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial health, powered by a network of over 700,000 teachers and business volunteers. This scale and experience make JA an ideal partner to help build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. 

Together, we鈥檙e combining JA鈥檚 proven curriculum with SAP鈥檚 global network of employee volunteers to create a structured, scalable experience that helps young people build in-demand skills, discover career pathways, and connect directly with mentors and role models. In its first year, the initiative aims to reach more than 85,000 students across six continents, engaging 800 51风流volunteers of all ages as mentors and role models. 

Why this matters now 

The world of work is evolving faster than many education systems can adapt. We believe the future belongs to young people who combine essential human skills鈥攍ike creativity, resilience, and collaboration鈥攚ith digital confidence. JA鈥檚 curriculum delivers exactly that, and through this global initiative 51风流is proud to help bring these vital skills to youth at scale. 

For many of us at SAP, this work is deeply personal. Like countless colleagues, we know from experience how early exposure to mentors and practical skills can change a life. 

鈥淚 joined JA as a student 25 years ago. Those early experiences shaped my journey. They equipped me with the tools and skills I needed to grow in the business world and helped me believe, at a very young age, that with knowledge, grit, and humility, anything was possible,鈥� says Sam Masri, global chief sales officer, SAP. 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud that 51风流will now bring that same opportunity to thousands of youth around the world!鈥�

Building future skills, together 

Our collaboration goes beyond volunteering; it鈥檚 a long-term alignment focused on skills development, equity, and innovation. We鈥檙e committed to creating a more inclusive, opportunity-rich future for all young people, regardless of geography or background. We鈥檙e proud to be part of this effort and excited about the impact ahead. 

The Global Career Discovery Initiative is one way we鈥檙e putting into action. Around the world, millions of young people are not in education, employment, or training, while employers struggle to find skilled talent. We believe building future skills is essential to empower the next generation and ensure a fair, sustainable transition from education to employment or entrepreneurship.听

To do this, we focus on three areas: 

• Ecosystem development: Building partnerships to align skills with job market needs and open career pathways听
• Education: Supporting innovative programs that equip youth with relevant skills for the digital and green economies and spark youth entrepreneurship
• Employee engagement: Empowering our people to share their knowledge and time through mentoring, coaching, and pro bono consulting

CSR can鈥檛 be a tick-box exercise. It must be a strategic approach that tackles social and environmental challenges and creates shared value for businesses and communities alike. Our purpose at SAP鈥攖o help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives鈥攊s brought to life every day through our products, services, and the dedication of our people.听

This partnership with JA builds on two decades of collaboration, from workshops in Colombia to classrooms in Vietnam. Now, we鈥檙e aligning and scaling that local impact globally, so that more young people, especially those from underserved communities, can see what鈥檚 possible and have the support they need to shape the future of work. 

Hemang Desai is interim global head of Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.

In response to this mounting pressure, 51风流has launched 鈥攁 no-cost global program that can provide students and academic educators with all the curated resources needed to get and stay certified and stand out with proven skills in the latest 51风流innovations. It offers guided learning resources, including expert-led live sessions, access to practice systems to get hands-on experience, and two 51风流Certification exam attempts.

Available globally since April 2025, the program is designed to close the gap between classroom theory and real-world readiness, giving students access to all the resources they need to future-proof their career with the latest skills and credentials.

Closing the global skills gap鈥攐ne student at a time

The need for a program like this has never been higher. With AI-related course enrollments spiking by and increased fears of digital obsolescence, students and early-career professionals are looking for practical, on-the-job experience鈥攏ot just theoretical knowledge鈥攖o empower them to meet change with adaptability, not anxiety.

The timing of this initiative is critical, too. IDC projects that by 2026, over 90% of organizations will suffer from a shortage of IT skills, costing them trillions in missed opportunities. Employers are struggling to find graduates who not only understand digital technologies but can also use them effectively from day one. Dr. Katharina Sch盲fer, global head of 51风流University Alliances, believes 51风流Learning Hub, student edition will help bridge this skills gap: 鈥�51风流Learning Hub, student edition simplifies lesson planning and instruction for lecturers while also ensuring students gain practical experience with the latest 51风流technologies to prepare them for today鈥檚 job market.鈥�

Students, educators, and employers alike win

Designed for students, the site offers self-paced content and guided and tailored learning to help gain practical skills. Along with accessing the latest practice systems for 51风流solutions, students can connect directly with 51风流experts in live sessions to cover more complex topics. With 51风流Learning Hub, student edition, students can gain the confidence to work on key 51风流projects, drive innovation with their proven proficiency, and continuously develop the skills to stand out to employers.

Beyond students, the benefits of extend to lecturers who can now have access to guided, practical resources to help empower their students to graduate with an 51风流Certification. 鈥淭his program lowers the barrier for me to teach with real 51风流tools,鈥� said Nancy Jones, a lecturer and curriculum developer. 鈥淢y students are walking away not just with knowledge鈥攂ut with proof that they can apply it.鈥�

The solution can also give companies a powerful new lever to tap into certified, workforce-ready talent鈥攎any of whom have been trained in the technologies they use on a daily basis. HR leaders and hiring managers can also benefit from an efficient recruitment process by easily identifying candidates with validated 51风流expertise. This also helps reduce the need for extensive training, shorten onboarding times, and ensure the company鈥檚 readiness for future challenges鈥攁 win for all.

Overcoming with future-ready skills

51风流Learning Hub, student edition arrives at a time when AI and digital transformation are redefining job requirements. This digital solution can give young talents鈥攁nd the educators who support them鈥攁n effective way to keep pace. In doing so, they鈥檙e laying the foundation for a more resilient, skilled workforce that鈥檚 ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern economy head-on.

More information can be found here:

• Students:  
• Lecturers:

Andre Bechtold is president of 51风流Industries & Experiences.

In response to this trend, 51风流is lowering access to acquiring these critical skills with an expanded partnership with 51风流PartnerEdge member and its education brand . K2 University is expanding its portfolio further, offering for 51风流solutions in the United States and Canada. Bringing high-quality and vetted 51风流learning content, methodology, and system access to even more people, this strategic move aims to provide individuals with the opportunity to deepen their 51风流knowledge through scheduled, live, instructor-led courses guided by experienced trainers 鈥� and to bring 51风流solutions to life. 听

Breaking down barriers and providing future-focused education to a broader audience, this collaboration is a testament to our commitment to empower individuals through accessible learning opportunities. Hearing that 51风流professionals like , a recent university graduate, can access amazing job opportunities thanks to their 51风流skills, underscores the importance of those learning programs. Beau knew that tech, and specifically SAP, was in increased demand. And while his story is inspiring, there are many more.  

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In fact, proves that upskilling not only helps individuals, but also organizations gain the right skills critical to drive digital transformation. Ensuring project success and maximizing the return on investment companies made with 51风流solutions, the study on the power of continuous upskilling was conducted by Forrester Consulting, a leading global market research company, and quantified several benefits for organizations. One of them was improved upskilling due to greater learning access, resulting in productivity gains of up to 25%. The study also showed a faster time to competence by 50% for users. Interviewees also reported cost savings and greater project success.  

We are confident that our extended partnership with K2 University in North America will continue this positive impact on many people and organizations. We look forward to a future of shared success and growth, solidifying our commitment to creating opportunity through learning and development for all.

SAP’s dedication to delivering future-focused, cloud-first training both online and on-site will continue. This expanded offering with K2 marks the next step in widening the availability of training resources, as Wahridj Gergian, managing director of K2 University, highlighted in a recent conversation: 鈥�51风流is a cornerstone in the tech world, and its solutions are vital for businesses worldwide. Cultivating 51风流skills is essential for professional growth and success in today’s digital landscape. I am thrilled that through our long-standing and successful partnership with SAP, we can now expand our offering to our audience, empowering them to excel in the tech industry and beyond. This is a significant step forward in K2 University鈥檚 commitment to providing valuable, in-demand skills to our community.鈥�

While this may just be the start, we are hoping to bring additional training offerings to other regions, making sure organizations are set up to bring out their best with SAP.

Andre Bechtold is SVP and head of Solution & Innovation Experience at SAP.

To make it easier to develop relevant skills and secure business success in such a volatile environment, we embarked on a journey to upskill millions of people worldwide in search of opportunity. After launching a digital skills initiative for those underserved in tech, forging new partnerships, offering the first role-based certifications to help meet real-life business needs, and making future-focused learning resources available to all, we are now taking our efforts to an even higher level 鈥� with more free, self-paced learning and engagement opportunities, new solution demos to experience the latest innovations in 51风流Business AI, cloud ERP, and 51风流Business Technology Platform (51风流BTP), among others, a full portfolio of role-based certifications and a new certification model, as well as an extended digital skills initiative.

More Than 250 Free Online Courses Now Available for All

From global talent shortages and changing job profiles to the digitalization of entire economies, many organizations see the gaps between skill supply and demand grow wider and wider while searching for ways to adapt to a business landscape where advancements like AI, machine learning, and a new era of Big Data come into play. In this ever-changing atmosphere, tens of thousands of organizations have to support them on their path to bring out their best, leading to skyrocketing demand for 51风流talent.

To help meet the increasing demand, we recently launched more than 50 new free, self-paced learning journeys 鈥� many of them touching on AI features embedded in our software 鈥� bringing the total number of digital courses on the to more than 250. By allowing everyone with an Internet connection to quickly learn a new skill for free, keep up with the latest innovations, and prepare for an in-demand 51风流Certification, more professionals can advance in the competitive technology labor market, while customers can draw on a deeper bench of skills to accelerate digital transformation.

Launching Role-Based Certifications for All Key Roles

As organizations need to be more adaptive and dynamic, traditional university degrees become less important and skills-based hiring is on the rise when trying to fill positions. In fact, recent reports show that up to in the U.S. in the beginning of the year did not state an educational requirement. Instead, role-based certifications and practical experience have become more determining factors for career paths and hiring.

Recognizing the advantages role-based certifications can offer both individuals and organizations, we have further enhanced our certification program to better align with real-life business needs, now offering role-based certification for all key roles, including consultants, analysts, and architects. These role-based certifications come with a clear career path for individuals. Together with a with continuous assessments, this is our way to help ensure skill sets are sharp, focused on core competencies, and more sustainable and valid for longer periods of time.

With these enhancements, we believe we have now taken an important next step to support professionals and organizations in the 51风流ecosystem to bring out their best with ongoing and up-to-date knowledge of the latest skills, helping to maximize the ROI of 51风流software, shorten deployment times, lower costs, speed innovation, and increase employee retention and satisfaction.

Simplified Access to Pre-Trained 51风流Talent

However, we recognize that many people considered underrepresented in tech still do not have access to future-focused educational resources and with it, fulfilling careers. Launched in late 2022, was intended to equip 10,000 people from underrepresented and underserved groups for a career in the tech industry with free, self-paced learning resources and a free certification exam attempt to obtain an in-demand 51风流Certification to show their expertise. Ever since its launch, the initiative has grown 鈥� and contributed to .

Hearing that 51风流professionals like , could overcome gender bias because of our digital skills initiative, makes me proud. 鈥淸The digital skills initiative and 51风流Certification] indeed opened new doors and helped me get noticed by recruiters,鈥� Fan said. 鈥淚 got several interviews from major 51风流consulting firms shortly after handing in my application. In the interviews, I highlighted what I learned and expressed my confidence in accepting challenges for rolling out 51风流S/4HANA. In the end, I got an offer and gladly started a junior role at a consulting firm that actively implements 51风流S/4HANA projects.鈥�

While Fan鈥檚 path is inspiring, she is not the only one who turned their life around with the help of SAP. Given the expectation-exceeding demand of now more than 14,500 candidates, we are overwhelmed by the positive uptake of the initiative. One of our recent graduates, on camera and shared how intimidating the tech industry appeared to the single mother at first. Thanks to her willpower and commitment, plus a little help from the digital skills initiative, she recently got certified and hired by an 51风流partner. And as organizations are still struggling to find skilled employees, we have decided to extend SAP鈥檚 digital skills initiative, bringing candidates and organizations together. With simplified access to SAP-trained talent, we are helping customers and partners to recruit talent and expand their workforce faster while also allowing for greater diversity and innovation.

At SAP, we recognize the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for customers, partners, and individual learners within and outside of the 51风流ecosystem. With these enhancements, we have taken the next step to help organizations equip their existing workforce with the right tools and resources to future-proof their skill set while also paving career growth for those who do not have a seat at the table yet but can bring a fresh set of perspectives to it.

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Andre Bechtold is SVP and head of Solution & Innovation Experience at SAP.

This is what I heard during my discussion with the first cohort of SAP鈥檚 , a program that helps equip underrepresented and underserved groups for a career in the tech industry through participation in a free 51风流Certification course.

How could it be that in a time when companies need to find talent quickly to fill the need for technically skilled roles 鈥� a need that is becoming more urgent by the day 鈥� there is an entire population of determined, driven people who feel as though they do not belong in the tech industry?

The Current State of Diversity in Technology

The numbers speak volumes: only . Only 3% of those jobs are held by Black women and 1% are held by Latina women. For me, it has always been impossible to ignore the lack of representation in the tech industry. I am acutely aware of when I am the only woman in the room 鈥� let alone the only Black woman.

But this is changing. Companies have begun implementing diversity-forward hiring practices to try to minimize barriers for populations that have historically been overlooked. The percentage of rose from 56% in 2016 to 88% in 2021. Though there is now targeted backlash, numerous employers remain committed to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) goals for the workforce.

These initiatives have proven to be important to younger generations. In a few years, millennials and Gen Z will make up the majority of our workforce 鈥� and they want to work for companies that align with their values. A 2022 survey from the found that 76% of recent graduates indicated that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts were 鈥渧ery important鈥� or 鈥渆xtremely important鈥� when considering their future employers.

Helping Underserved Groups Break into Tech

If we want diverse workforces, we must support and create targeted channels to source diverse talent. It is imperative that these groups 鈥� including women, people of color, veterans, and others 鈥� are given the resources to excel in high tech. I have seen firsthand how our digital skills initiative is making an impact on individuals and their communities, working to ensure that talent from all backgrounds can participate in this exciting era of technological innovation. At SAP, we offer training on products like and , whether through programs like the digital skills initiative or on , helping anyone interested in jump-starting their career in tech.听

Without diverse perspectives, we leave out too many pieces of the puzzle to see the big picture. This deficit is particularly obvious in technology, given its influence on everything from how we shop to how we govern. It is unsustainable to expect lasting market viability from products that are developed by and marketed to one type of person. Put simply, employing diverse talent is essential to long-term success.

How Companies Can Recruit Diverse Talent

For companies that are looking for the next pool of employees to solve today鈥檚 business challenges, it is time to consider non-traditional avenues of talent, like graduates from SAP鈥檚 digital skills initiative. Each cohort comes equipped with 51风流Certification, self-motivation, and a strong work ethic. This is a special opportunity to pull from a curated group of strong candidates, not just because of their new skills but because of demonstrated curiosity and drive that is not easy to find.

51风流makes these trained and certified candidates available to recruiters at no charge. Want to get access to SAP-certified, ready-to-hire talent? Interested in adopting a cohort? to see how you can start hiring and get involved.

Register for the Digital Skills Initiative as a Participant

If you are interested in expanding your career opportunities by learning in-demand skills and achieving an 51风流Certification free of charge, apply for the digital skills initiative using the . This is a fantastic opportunity for those who want to make a career switch to tech.

To those who never pictured themselves in the tech industry, picture it. There is a place for you. Take this as a sign to invest in yourself and create a new path to success. 

Making an Impact on Future Generations

When I talked with this first cohort of the digital skills initiative, I saw how they take great pride in their certification. For some, these new skills will prove to be life-changing.

My goal is to support initiatives that aim to ensure that everyone, from all backgrounds, can pursue their interests in finding a career in tech. When we leave these doors closed, we not only rob those shut out of the opportunity, but all of us from the creativity, perspectives, and outcomes they could deliver.

I am incredibly proud of SAP鈥檚 work in empowering people to pursue a career in technology. I believe that we are developing the future of innovation through programs like the digital skills initiative, and I cannot wait to see how similar programs will evolve in the future.

If you are an NGO, university, or an 51风流partner or customer, contact us at partners.digitalskills@sap.com to learn more. If you are interested in applying to the digital skills initiative, to start your journey.

Etosha Thurman is chief marketing and solutions officer for Intelligent Spend and Business Network at SAP.

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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.

Also, the way we learn has transformed due to shifting employee expectations around technology and new work conditions. Balancing compliance and regulatory requirements while enhancing internal mobility, career growth, and the employee experience is now a business essential. Learning must close skills gaps for personal development and align with strategic business needs in today’s marketplace.

The highlights upskilling and talent attraction as key. To predict business needs, organizations must plan and target skills gaps. They must also understand employees’ career goals and take their whole self into consideration for personalized development. This approach creates engaging experiences and aligns with what employees want.

Learning drives transformation but breaking traditional silos challenges skill growth alignment. Many organizations have invested in learning experience platform solutions to increase learner engagement, but this approach alone has not solved the challenge of increasing skills growth across the organization while aligning learning to strategic business goals.

Connected Learning as Strategic Part of Skills Growth

The 51风流SuccessFactors Learning solution is a key part of our broader future-ready workforce strategy to help align the ambitions of people and organizations for shared achievement of accelerated skills growth. Later this year, customers can expect an enhanced integrated learning experience for 51风流SuccessFactors Learning.

While this will include a redesigned, revitalized homepage, it will also help identify the many learning options available to employees 鈥� the items that people 鈥渉ave to learn,鈥� such as mandatory learning for safety and compliance; those that they 鈥渘eed to learn鈥� to excel in their roles and achieve business objectives; and what they 鈥渨ant to learn鈥� based on their own interests, aspirations, and motivations.

Here, the integrated learning experience will leverage the framework within the 51风流SuccessFactors portfolio. The talent intelligence hub is a centralized framework that helps organizations understand the skills their employees have today, the gaps that exist, and the ways in which to close those gaps. With machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered intelligence, the talent intelligence hub can provide highly personalized learning and development recommendations to help ensure employees develop their skills sets while pursuing a career aligned to their ambitions. This accelerates upskilling and reskilling at scale while delivering unique talent experiences for every employee.

This fresh take on corporate learning fosters an intrinsic culture of upskilling within the corporate landscape. Considering employees as a whole 鈥� with a data-driven view of their skills, wants, and needs 鈥� can drive workforce progress in an organic manner. That鈥檚 because a motivated and talented workforce contributes to a future-ready business strategy that employers can sculpt to meet the ever-changing demands of a fluctuating market.

Four Ways to Address the Skills Gap with the New Integrated Learning Experience

1. Prioritize learning opportunities that encourage collaboration, growth, discovery, and curiosity while ensuring employees stay compliant with business and legal objectives.
2. Accelerate upskilling processes through greater visibility, access, and navigation through the integrated learning experience.
3. Improve engagement through experiences that prioritize and organize a learner鈥檚 individual needs, skills, interests, and aspirations.
4. Individualize opportunities and personalized recommendations for learning activities, mentors, temporary assignments, and more, fueling professional development through 51风流SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace.

All of this can allow organizations to curate the strategic attributes they expect in their people while also supporting their growth and development aspirations. Being on a skills transformation journey the integrated learning experience has already piqued the interest of organizations looking to support both their employees and their overall business strategies. Simon Wi脽mann, director of Corporate HR at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, believes 鈥渢hat the new integrated learning experience with its modern look brings added value to our employees by restructuring how mandatory trainings and trainings for personal growth are presented and added to the personal learning journey.鈥� By integrating the new experience with its learning strategy, Wi脽mann is confident that 鈥渋t will help to develop critical skills in our organization by closely linking together talent and learning processes while enabling employees to grow to their full potential.鈥�

This essential focus on employee experience in a more unified way can promote a culture of learning and growth in an organization鈥檚 landscape, which is essential for succinctly meeting critical business objectives. It is increasingly clear that when a company invests in accelerated upskilling solutions to create agile workforces that understand their individualized contributions to the organization鈥檚 overall strategy, it can reap extraordinary benefits.

Want to know more about or the values of upskilling in the modern economy? Read .

Margit Bauer is director of Solution Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors Learning.

However, this is much easier said than done. As leaders look to new initiatives to adapt, low-code/no-code stands out as a holy grail solution. Address the pervasive tech skills gap by bringing non-technical employees into the development and deployment process? Check. Identify an affordable way to leverage unique employee skill sets and integrate members from cross-team functions? Check. A new way to think about technical skills, freeing those in traditional developer roles to focus on creativity and innovation rather than execution? Check.

If you鈥檙e considering what low-code/no-code could look like in the workplace, here are some central considerations to keep in mind and mistakes to avoid when integrating citizen developers into your workforce in effort to create a more innovative IT department.

Citizen Developers Are Not 鈥淛unior鈥� Developers, They Have Their Own Unique Skill Set

Citizen developers, employees that utilize strategies to create new or change existing business applications without involving IT departments, often have nontraditional backgrounds, serving in roles like customer service, human resources, and project management, bringing a new wave of perspectives and ideas to the tech and service industry. While many may be inclined to view citizen developers as 鈥渏unior鈥� developers, this couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth. Since citizen developers are connected to other parts of the business, they can provide insight and streamline processes that developers alone are not involved in. Additionally, citizen developers shouldn鈥檛 be considered a one-to-one replacement of developers. Though they can optimize specific business functions, they do not fix technical holes in the workforce.

Leveraging these unique talents has huge benefits for the entire team: reducing the heavy lift on developers by easing the skills gap, opening the path to new ideas and innovative strategies, and bringing diverse and new perspectives to an IT industry that typically . Acknowledging the benefits of their nontraditional skill set is key to reap the benefits of implementing low-code/no-code in the workforce, as it meshes a unique view on the needs of the business, creativity, and coding skills to drive innovation.

Generative AI Will Fuel Citizen and Professional Developer Roles, Leading to Increased Innovation

Gartner research that 61% of corporations have already implemented citizen development projects or plan to do so. This is great news, because as the skills gap continues to without an equivalent number of new graduates to fill the holes, citizen developers are the natural solution for any department. However, as more organizations get comfortable with these shifts, they will also need to navigate the rapid evolution of generative AI, which will take things one step further for both citizen and professional developers.

Generative AI is continuing to evolve 鈥� and it makes the complexity of coding more accessible. In this sense, it is a low-code tool. Citizen developers will be able to leverage generative AI platforms to complete even more complex initiatives, which will free up the deeply technical computer and data scientists to focus on issues that require an in-depth understanding of how the systems work. With citizen developers able to flex their skills by assisting IT teams and traditional developers focused on strategic advancements, organizations are sure to see an improvement in productivity and employee satisfaction. One thing is certain: low-code/no-code tools, like platforms based on the principles of model-driven design, automatic code generation, and visual programming, are unleashing increased innovation, empowering the workforce, and helping to address skill shortages.

The Best Part about Low-Code/No-Code? The Opportunities Are Endless

The barriers to teaching and integrating low-code/no-code are relatively low, and any employee from any background 鈥� formally educated or not 鈥� can begin their coding journey with ease. Providing access to learning and development opportunities like low-code/no-code trainings opens new career opportunities for the existing workforce, encouraging workers to tap into their personal interest in learning developer skills while taking on a more expansive role in the organization. When employees feel that their interest in expanding their role and learning new parts of the business is being listened to, they also take on an increased sense of fulfillment and interest in the job, leading to heightened employee retention.

It may seem intimidating to start the journey of prioritizing new learning and training opportunities, but the benefits are endless. At our recently held , interested participants from across industries were able to learn the concept of low-code software development through hands-on experience. Learners created full end-to-end processes that integrated with 51风流S/4HANA, using 51风流Build Apps, 51风流Build Process Automation, and 51风流Build Work Zone. Through this program, dozens of workers were able to expand their technical knowledge and dive deeper into the world of low-code/no-code.

To begin implementing low-code/no-code strategies in your department, consider leveraging training for all levels 鈥� from beginner to advanced 鈥� and build time into the workday for those who are interested in learning. Putting an emphasis on this opportunity, and on the learning and development of your employees, is sure to make an impact on your teams.

The Future of IT Is Rapidly Changing, But Shining Bright

As technology continues to rapidly evolve, it鈥檚 essential that IT teams are properly equipped to grow alongside it. With low-code/no-code and the rise of the citizen developer, the opportunities are limitless to what the technical workforce can accomplish, with employees of every background poised to get involved in the digital transformation across the industry. Not only will integrating citizen developers into your teams allow your organization to diversify its workforce, but it can also create new innovations in your strategy and address the employee burnout and stress on developers who cannot keep up with the growing skills gap.

Timo Schuette is global vice president of 51风流Product Learning CoE at SAP.

Like so many businesses around the world, Delaware is facing big issues when it comes to recruitment. The shortage of available talent in the market and then having to fight other companies for talent when it鈥檚 available is a drain on Delaware鈥檚 time and resources.

“It鈥檚 unsustainable,” says David Taylor, head of Growth Initiatives at Delaware. “We鈥檙e a smaller business, but we’ve got big targets for growth. We’re aiming to triple our size in the next three to five years. That means we need access to great people. Now the challenge for us is that we don’t have the same resources as bigger companies. We don’t have a big team of people building that pipeline of talent for us.”

Step forward 51风流and the Partner Talent Initiative.

“It鈥檚 a really helpful mechanism to attract great people. It gives us the chance to take advantage of SAP鈥檚 reach and reputation to get in front of candidates who wouldn’t necessarily have heard of Delaware otherwise,” explains Taylor.

The other challenge the initiative has helped Delaware address has been finding experienced individuals who can bring a wider range of skills and insights to the table.

“For 51风流partners like us to establish a strong pipeline of talent and meet the needs of our clients, we really need to diversify our strategies,” says Kaity Cloke, senior recruitment consultant at Delaware. “We need to be looking at bringing new people into the industry, people who have different, diverse skill sets, who can support the work that we do. The Partner Talent Initiative is really helping us to address those issues.”

Indeed, Taylor goes on to say that some of the best consultants they鈥檝e hired have been people who have worked in a specific industry already, rather than only ever working as a consultant.

“The initiative gives us access to a pool of experienced candidates from a variety of different backgrounds, many of whom have experience of living in the real world,” he adds. “It gives us a different outlook than if we were only hiring people from our graduate scheme, and we aren鈥檛 competing against other companies for these candidates.”

So far, Taylor and Cloke have hired three people, two into the finance team and one onto the 51风流SuccessFactors team, namely Caroline McDonald, whose story is featured .

“One of the real values of the Partner Talent Initiative is that we can go to 51风流and tell them our pain points, the areas where we need to bring people in, and they shape the initiative to suit us and address those issues. It’s a really collaborative approach,” says Taylor. “It also means that 51风流takes on a lot of the hard work of finding talent for us. For us, it鈥檚 a no-brainer to know that we have access to such fantastic talent to support our growth. It’s an opportunity that鈥檚 been too good to pass up.”

Find out more about the initiative or contact the team at partneracademy@sap.com.

This year, we鈥檙e focused on facilitating the career growth of existing 51风流professionals as demand for their skills accelerates faster and faster. As of today, three major innovations will bring even more support to these professionals around the globe. Our future-focused is now available to anyone with an Internet connection. We also introduced our plan to make 51风流Learning Hub the gateway to an unparalleled learning experience. Finally, we launched a role-based certification for enterprise architects, today鈥檚 most in-demand and best-paid role in the industry.

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All these innovations are part of our ongoing commitment to support workforce reinvention. We believe that in times of change, we have the remarkable opportunity to put our community in the position to seize career opportunities and accelerate business transformation.

It Starts with the Right Future-Focused Learning

From supply chain shortages and rising gas prices to inflation and shifting customer needs, many organizations rely on automated processes that enable them to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape and drive success. In this volatile atmosphere, tens of thousands of organizations have to support them on their path to a technological future, leading to skyrocketing demand for 51风流talent.

To meet this increasing demand and to help businesses succeed on their cloud journey, 51风流is making our strategic 鈥� all that is needed is an Internet connection. By lowering the barrier to accessing this content, more professionals can prepare for cloud-driven projects while staying on track with continuous learning, enhancing their digital skill set. In turn, customers can expect to gain a competitive advantage in their industry by equipping their employees with these tools and resources.

It Pays to Be an Enterprise Architect 鈥� In More Ways than One

As organizations continue to shift more of their workload to the cloud, we also see that the role of the enterprise architect is becoming increasingly vital. Bridging the gap between business and technology, enterprise architects ensure companies can reach their desired business outcomes through the effective use of technology. Recent numbers prove the demand for this role: it was ranked as , highlighting high job satisfaction and a competitive salary.

Recognizing the advantages that the role of enterprise architect can offer both individuals and organizations, we have introduced the first role-based certification program for professionals aspiring to become an enterprise architect today. This prerequisite intermediate certification demonstrates comprehensive understanding of 51风流solutions, business, and strategic aspects of enterprise architecture and ultimately helps 51风流professionals to increase career security and growth. At the same time, the certification can provide organizations with the confidence that their employees are gaining the competitive skills needed to drive significant business value on a large scale.

鈥淎SUG enthusiastically supports SAP鈥檚 enterprise architect certification program and recommends that every 51风流customer sponsor their enterprise architects to complete the certification and require any partner working on their behalf to be certified,鈥� said Geoff Scott, CEO and chief community champion, ASUG.

We believe that, in addition to investing in the upskilling of students and minorities in tech with our digital skills initiative to equip the next generation of IT workers, we have now taken an immense step to support professionals and organizations in the 51风流ecosystem with this in-demand certification.

A Successful Workforce Transformation Requires Transparency and Insights

As many professionals are experiencing changing expectations surrounding their current roles and are looking to meet these shifts and advance in their careers, we must deliver new ways to help them upskill. After all, it is estimated that . We have seen that the rate of success surrounding upskilling can rise further when leadership has access to data that allows them to guide their workforce transformation according to their specific business needs.

To take these circumstances into account, we have announced a new 51风流Learning site integration where subscribers to 51风流Learning Hub will have seamless access to digital courses, streamlining training programs to strengthen their digital skill set and help drive transformation for their company as a whole. With this new integration, .

For the first time, subscribers to the private cloud version of 51风流Learning Hub can benefit from exclusive learning management and reporting functionalities across solutions and platforms. These enhancements enable customers to access key insights and analytics that can help them plan and control their team鈥檚 skills transformation with transparency and help ensure long-term business value. For example, , an improvement in talent acquisition and retention, and a more resilient workforce.

At SAP, we recognize the challenges and opportunities that transformation presents both to our customers and 51风流professionals, which is why we have taken the next step in paving the way for unparalleled career growth and business transformation. By equipping employees with the tools and resources they need to enhance their skill set, organizations can reach new heights while employees increase their potential for future career opportunities.

Max Wessel is chief learning officer at SAP.

In the midst of this uncertainty, keeping IT workers abreast of innovative technologies and the skills to implement them is a balancing act. To stay at the forefront of industry change, learning must be considered more than a priority 鈥� it needs to be a core pillar of every organization. IT upskilling is key in today鈥檚 landscape to drive employee satisfaction and organizational success. Here are three of the top reasons to invest in learning and development opportunities and how the benefits can be articulated to leadership to ensure they consider learning a top priority, too.

Invest in Your Employees 鈥� and They Just Might Stick Around

While layoffs seem to be dominating the headlines, employees are quitting their jobs at the rate of layoffs. Retaining strong talent remains a competitive pursuit, and organizations are feeling the impacts of this challenge. Now, would consider leaving their current role because there aren鈥檛 enough opportunities for skill development or career advancement. The truth is that adequate training directly impacts retention. An important factor in how employees evaluate their organization is based on the opportunities they鈥檙e provided to learn the skills that will catapult them towards reaching their goals. Learning and development opportunities can equip employees with essential leadership skills that can elevate their current position and pave the way for internal advancement.

By offering learning programs, and therefore showing the workforce that leaders are invested in their growth, executive teams will realize a multitude of benefits. Individuals will feel valued and excited by new challenges and upskilling opportunities, making them more likely to be happy with their current role. Beyond this, they鈥檒l build a workforce that is equipped with the latest knowledge to drive meaningful outcomes for the organization.

Fostering Creativity, Innovation, and Curiosity

The tech industry is evolving 鈥� fast. From generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to immersive-reality technologies, digital transformation has raised the bar on the skills required of teams today. Inspiring employees to lead innovative strategies can feel daunting when the workforce is not properly equipped with the latest knowledge to take on new initiatives. When employees do not feel prepared, they are less likely to be enthusiastic about taking on new responsibilities or raise their hand to lead a project that is outside of their comfort zone. In fact, think the skills shortage is the biggest barrier to the adoption of game-changing technologies.

To combat this hesitation and encourage workers to tackle new challenges, leaders must recognize that learning and development opportunities enable IT teams to feel prepared and excited to move forward on adopting new workplace technologies. This ultimately increases efficiency and allows more time and space for innovation and creativity.

Steve Lucas, 51风流S/4HANA Cloud application consultant at Sapphire Systems, has seen how learning, for instance with , can drive innovation firsthand. 鈥淓arning an 51风流Certi铿乧ation is important to not just my future but the future of my company. It ensures we鈥檒l both meet our goals and remain at the forefront of SAP鈥檚 latest innovations,鈥� he said.

Tackling the Persistent Skills Gap Challenge

The skills gap remains top-of-mind for leaders across industries as technical roles continue to evolve and competition for top talent remains high. Due to the speed of innovation, over to do their jobs successfully in the coming years.

While some employees may be able to make time outside of work hours for learning and development, many have competing personal priorities 鈥� meaning encouraging employees to seek upskilling opportunities outside of their nine-to-five may set them on a path of frustration and burnout. Instead, bring training programs directly to them and build a few uninterrupted hours into their workday so that employees can devote themselves to learning without navigating demanding tasks at the same time. This simple solution can mitigate burnout and ensure everyone is receiving the information they need to be successful in their roles 鈥� now and in the future.

For example, learning programs like or basics can quickly and efficiently equip employees with the skills they need by educating them on the latest platforms and technology necessary to keep up with digital transformation efforts. These programs can also level the playing field among teams, increasing workers鈥� value and purpose within their current role.

The Return on Learning and Development? Priceless.

While it鈥檚 true that that investing in learning and development is a commitment 鈥� both in budget and in resources 鈥� the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It鈥檚 easy to deprioritize learning when the time and money that goes into upskilling can seem like an optional expense, but in today鈥檚 workplace culture, it is essential. Companies who invest in learning and development opportunities will reap the benefits almost immediately and will equip their teams for a future of innovation, creativity, and equitable opportunities for growth, ultimately leading to higher retention, empowered employees, and a more secure workforce.

Jan Meyer is head of Learning Systems at SAP.

A leader in technology communications, Vodafone Group Plc digitally connects more than 350 million customers with voice and data services for mobile, fixed line, the Internet of Things (IoT), and television throughout Europe and Africa. Vodafone lives its purpose to connect technology and humanity for a better future. Its motto: 鈥淭ogether we can.鈥�

This vision drives Vodafone鈥檚 global transformation into a next-generation connectivity and digital services provider that delivers sustainable growth. As innovation is fundamental to its business strategy, Vodafone is investing in cloud HR to transform its culture and elevate the employee experience as it reinvents the workplace to 鈥渂uild the human spirit of technology.鈥�

鈥淲e relied on ,鈥� says Marc Starfield, group head of HR Systems and Programs, Vodafone Group, who is leading the project to provide value-driven HR capabilities throughout the organization. 鈥淲e鈥檝e implemented all the HR processes and functions on one global environment supporting around 100,000 employees in 24 key markets.鈥�

By putting employee experience at the heart of digital transformation, Vodafone ensures that HR is integrated in strategic decision-making that impacts the entire organization. 鈥淭his for me speaks to ensuring that any HR intervention, or all HR interventions, should directly contribute to new organizational outcomes,鈥� says Starfield, who has an established track record for success in managing HR transformations at leading global organizations. 鈥淸It] also speaks to how we think about people. Every person in our organization needs to believe and feel that they are part of a growth environment where everybody has opportunity to thrive.鈥�

Building a High-Performance Learning Culture

Vodafone identified that one of its most pressing HR business needs required investment for critical digital and technical skills. The company wants to add 7,000 software engineers to its technology capability by 2025. To set itself up for success, it is giving top priority to building an equitable and representative workforce that is supported by a strong employer brand.

To leverage the brilliant potential in the organization, the company is doubling down on upskilling and reskilling its workforce for improved employee engagement. Vodafone aims to make learning an integral part of every person鈥檚 day and, as Starfield says, 鈥渢o ensure people feel empowered to own their development in easy-to-find tools and to drive their growth.鈥�

Integrating Cloud HR for Actionable Insights

Vodafone began its HR transformation journey by implementing cloud-based 51风流SuccessFactors solutions to help integrate all functions, processes, and data. The team worked with 51风流partner for AI-driven talent attraction and processes, to help ensure end-to-end process enablement. The flexibility of (51风流BTP) has enabled Vodafone to address any unique requirements.

With the pilot rollout of 51风流SuccessFactors solutions for , integrated with , Vodafone is enabling real-time exploration of roles, costs, and environments. The company aims to gain visibility into sourcing and attracting the skills it needs for its future success. Starfield explains, 鈥淭he ultimate objective is to inform the resourcing operational plans in each market and the talent and learning interventions globally but also at a market level.鈥�

Vodafone also needed to consolidate multiple sources of data for better insight and intelligence. Building a unified foundation for analytics is helping the company achieve 鈥渢otal workforce understanding鈥� that includes data from solutions. Starfield describes this integration as 鈥渃ounting and understanding every heartbeat working, irrespective of the legal relationship to our organization.鈥�

Employee Experience: Simple, Accessible, Personalized

Vodafone has already achieved impressive results with its HR transformation. The project has generated greater efficiency and introduced hyper-automation from AI-powered tools. Vodafone has increased the number of new hires (+26%), improved diversity in hiring (+19%), and reduced candidate cycle times from 24 to 12 days. Its overall net promoter scores have jumped from -15 to +47.8.

The new mobile-enabled employee experience, using 51风流SuccessFactors solutions for employee self-service, ensures that employees can access Vodafone鈥檚 HR system from anywhere and at any time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really critical that we provide access to information and processes at a time and in a way which best suits employees,鈥� says Starfield. 鈥淩eally central to this is making sure that the information we present to employees is personal and purposeful.鈥�

Furthermore, to advance its vision for a high-performance learning culture, Vodafone has adopted a 鈥渨hole person鈥� view of each employee to accelerate learning and talent development at all levels of the organization. It also uses (LXP), built for 51风流SuccessFactors customers, to blend 51风流SuccessFactors Learning and 51风流SuccessFactors Work Zone for a personalized, captivating experience that offers unlimited learning resources. The engagement on the learning platform has been outstanding, as employees have completed more than 555,000 hours of learning within six months of the launch date and created more than 32,000 skills profiles in the system.

Starfield attributes this success to making it easy for employees to find learning and development aligned with their goals. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about making it really simple for people to understand where they are in their development journey,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut also understand how they can address anything they are interested in and any potential skills gaps they have.鈥�

To learn more about Vodafone鈥檚 amazing HR transformation, including lessons learned and advice, watch the .

Developed for SAP鈥檚 entire global ecosystem of staff, customers, and partners that played their part in helping the world run better, the theme couldn鈥檛 be more fitting as 51风流CSR announces that a staggering 5 million lives have been impacted throughout 2022, thanks to more than 20,000 51风流employees who spent 117,000 hours volunteering.

The third edition of our eBook brings 12 months of purpose-led work to our digital fingertips. It showcases flagship 51风流CSR initiatives, fruitful partnerships, and personal success stories from around the globe. For instance, you can read about our three-year partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited (GenU) that enabled more than 7.6 million youth in India, T眉rkiye, and Vietnam to access critical digital and life skills training 鈥� significantly more than the original goal of 1.5 million.

鈥淚t鈥檚 evident that our massive strides are turning the company鈥檚 vision into reality,鈥� says Christian Klein, CEO and member of the Executive Board of 51风流SE.

鈥淎n imperative and strategic component for strengthening the business, 51风流CSR set clear 2022 priorities and directed attention under the three focus areas: accelerate social business, build future skills, and collaborate for sustainability. The third edition 51风流CSR eBook demonstrates that, together, we really can change the way the world operates and create a better environment for people and planet,鈥� adds Alexandra van der Ploeg, global head of Corporate Social Responsibility.

The key education initiatives featured in the eBook include SAP鈥檚 commitment to continuing its partnership with UNICEF from GenU. Based on the achievements of the past three years, 51风流will support GenU and the (Yoma), an online learning platform, to enable young people to find jobs in the digital and green economy. This will also include piloting a new program called 51风流Educate to Employ. The program supports 鈥榣earning-to-earning鈥� pathways in the digital and green economy for young people deprived of access to the skills they need. These youth can gain on-the-job experience and critical future-oriented skills while also benefiting from coaching and mentorship to help them launch their careers in the 51风流customer and partner ecosystem.

To accelerate social business, we launched the in partnership with Unilever and MovingWorlds, a global, one-stop, online shop for non-financial, free business support for social enterprises worldwide. Through the hub, these organizations can gain access to pro bono consultants, mentors, and coaches, personalized guidance, introductions to sales and partnership opportunities, and connections to potential funding prospects.

In 2022, we also worked with external partners to validate our intended social impact and business value for our pro bono consulting offering. In the last decade of our , more than 1,400 51风流employees provided business know-how to over 450 social enterprises. In addition to proven social impact for social enterprises, the program also created significant business value for SAP by contributing to our employees鈥� professional and personal growth, as well as their leadership development.

Following their participation, the majority of employees, social enterprises, and their beneficiaries reported a positive impact:

• 74% of the employees experienced a positive long-term career impact
• 96% of social enterprises enjoyed a positive long-term impact
• 77% of beneficiaries of social enterprises saw improvements in their quality of life

Van der Ploeg explains that SAP鈥檚 evolved CSR strategy powers equitable access to economic opportunity, education and employment, and the green and circular economy: 鈥淲e are continually striving to drive tangible and transformative social impact. Our work over the years has helped us to achieve a leading software industry score for Corporate Citizenship in the most recent听Dow Jones Sustainability Index.鈥�

鈥淟ooking ahead, with sustainability at the core of everything we do, 51风流CSR is well equipped for the future. In 2023, we will focus on driving social impact through radical collaboration in our multi-stakeholder partnerships and expanding our portfolio of pro bono consulting opportunities for our employees to support social enterprises to run at their best,鈥� she concludes.

. For further information about 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility, visit .

Maximilian Herrmann is part of Social Impact Measurement & Operations for Corporate Social Responsibility听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.

Enter ENGAGE.EU

ENGAGE.EU is an alliance of leading European universities that seeks to give the citizens of Europe the skills and expertise they need to overcome the major issues facing society today.

Among these challenges and progressive European topics are digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI), climate change and what it means for sustainable economies, and the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All of which are having lasting effects on the economy and society and require us to adopt new ways of thinking.

Think Tank at the University of Mannheim

To give academics from a range of disciplines an opportunity to examine these challenges in more detail, the first ENGAGE.EU Think Tank was staged at the University of Mannheim 鈥� not far from 51风流headquarters in Walldorf.

The event was open to all academics studying at an ENGAGE.EU university who are interested in digital transformation and its impact on the economy, law, and politics. As such, the think tank acted as a forum for interdisciplinary academic exchange between a Pan-European network of universities.

Given the problems we face today, supply chains 鈥� the beating heart of the global economy 鈥� are the subject of intense debate. They were also the focus of comments made at the think tank by two guest speakers from SAP: Luka Mucic, CFO and member of the Executive Board of 51风流SE, and Kristian Schier, chief architect, 51风流Product Engineering. The discussion panel they took part in was open not just to think tank researchers, but also to all students and faculty members from the University of Mannheim.

鈥淭he current economic status is unsustainable. Looking at the challenges we are presented with 鈥� not only with regards to supply chains 鈥� it鈥檚 clear that companies need to work with governments and society and play their part in finding a solution together,鈥� said Mucic. He added that transitioning from linear supply chains to agile, more transparent, and resilient models is vital to building the resilience to withstand crises now and in the future. Supply chains, he said, need to be sustainable by design and become more circular, adding that technology plays a decisive role when it comes to mapping and managing the complexity involved.

While supply chain costs are increasing, not least due to rising gas prices, there is also the problem that supply chains require too much energy and emit too much CO2. To address this, companies must first become aware of their role in the overall supply chain. Then companies need to think about how processes can be improved. Schier and Mucic both pointed to automation as one of the keys to success. 鈥淯sing connectivity technologies to link production with sales and purchasing means that a machine knows, for example, what quantities of materials to order 鈥� and when. That makes it possible to automate and optimize ordering processes,鈥� explained Schier.

Why Is 51风流Involved?

New digital technologies are transforming the economy and society. But, societal change also requires innovations in science, business, and politics. 鈥淲e see the collaboration between leading European universities that is at the heart of ENGAGE.EU and their interaction with society and business as a huge opportunity. We at 51风流support these efforts aimed at shaping societal change together and advancing the progress of digital transformation,鈥� said Dr. Katharina Sch盲fer, global head of 51风流University Alliances. One of ENGAGE.EU鈥檚 key themes is the transfer of digital skills to young people to enable them to drive this transformation forward. In this context, 51风流is working closely with the ENGAGE.EU Consortium as part of the 51风流University Alliances program. More opportunities to bring the academic community together are in the pipeline, including a due to begin next year.

Together, ENGAGE.EU and 51风流focus on societal challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and new technologies like artificial intelligence. The use of cloud software for teaching and research is of central importance for 51风流University Alliances. 51风流is therefore opening up applications and platforms for scenario- and problem-based research and teaching purposes so that they can be used to find solutions to these challenges.

This is where the aim of ENGAGE.EU and the vision of 51风流University Alliances coincide: in transferring digital skills to young people to enable them to shape their own future.

The collaboration between ENGAGE.EU and 51风流illustrates the importance of close cooperation between industry and academia to develop solution strategies for upcoming global challenges while empowering and engaging engaged European citizens.

Photos by Katrin Gl眉ckler

For too long many companies have taken advantage of their people, simply because they could or because they were too slow to recognize the importance of culture and leadership. The power dynamic has shifted from government to employer to employee to a whole new power base and hierarchy: employee to employer to government. Add to this severe talent pool shortages brought about by demographics, geopolitical change, digitalization, and a new generational attitude to formal sector employment 鈥� in short, a shift to the experience economy around late 2016.

Companies most impacted by the Great Resignation are those with attitudes like 鈥淚f you don’t like it here, you can get a job somewhere else,鈥� those that don鈥檛 treat their people like human beings but rather as disposable capital line items. Frontline workers suffered the most in the past, but since 2014 the power balance tipped more and more to these employees and away from leaders and the organization鈥檚 human capital management (HCM) function. What we’re experiencing now is the first of a potential series of great corrections 鈥� and the risk of not addressing it poses a serious sustainability and growth risk for companies.

The workforce across all ranks now has much more power and influence. After the pandemic, many employees are now saying 鈥淚 don’t want to be treated this way and I would rather have no job than this job!鈥欌�� Prior to the pandemic, fear of the unknown was enough to keep somebody in an 鈥淥K鈥� job. But, people were furloughed, some lost their jobs, and many who didn’t lose their jobs were still distressed and fearful. Suddenly, the unknown became a lot less scary, and when employers now offer them 鈥淥K鈥� and 鈥渦nknown,鈥� they are choosing 鈥渦nknown.鈥� It is no surprise that so many people are leaving their jobs.

The Great Resignation is a sustainability warning to companies that have not focused on culture and leadership for a while. It is a great opportunity to double down to give people a workplace with a culture and climate in which they want to work and want to do the kind of work they feel is meaningful to themselves and their company.

The workplace is an environment of the leadership and employer鈥檚 own making. Employee experience affects all levels, not just junior employees but also more senior leaders whose high number of resignations is being coined the Grey Resignation. The Grey Resignation will hurt business as much as the Great Resignation.

When most leaders speak of challenges in finding the right talent, there鈥檚 a greater than average chance that they鈥檙e really talking about digital skills. This is understandable: we largely operate in and are moving further towards a digital world. In this digital world, organizations need the ability to create experiences that keep customers returning and employees engaged. This also means an increasing reliance on the organization鈥檚 ability to rapidly and successfully deploy new applications and services, based on leading technology.

However, there is more than one elephant in the room. One is that the skills needed are often the preserve of young people. The assumption is that the valuable digital skills are based on the technology with which those newer to the workforce grew up. These capabilities are highly prized and, if they can鈥檛 be obtained through hiring, can be developed through training programs for young people.

Yet while there is certainly appetite for employers to provide up- and reskilling support to those newer to the workforce, it is a benefit that is highly valued across all demographics. According to a听, more than half (57%) of all workers say they are 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� interested in participating in upskilling programs, with 听53% of those aged 55 and above view upskilling as 鈥渧ery鈥� or 鈥渆xtremely鈥� important.

And yet it is the latter that are rapidly exiting in the workforce. This Grey Resignation represents a huge loss of talent, experience, and networks that cannot be easily replaced. For the most part, businesses are in danger of overlooking this before it is too late. The issue is exacerbated by culture debates and oversteer policies in an accelerated attempt to rectify diversity and inclusion targets since historically the older worker will predominately identify as male.

Why can鈥檛 older talent be easily replaced? Because so much of their capability is founded in deep-rooted experience and knowledge that is not easily collated and shared by formal means or automation. Some industries have been struggling with this brain-drain for several years, even those at the forefront of innovation such as the technology sector, where even losing the few people that understand how legacy systems work can raise a major barrier to technological progress.

Losing inherent knowledge and experience is always a concern whenever a person leaves. When a whole demographic heads for the door, it has the potential to be catastrophic, both for the employer in question and the wider ecosystem.听 Relationships between customers and suppliers can start to break down as all the informal working practices 鈥� the bonds built up over time 鈥� disappear in an instant. These are intangible and hard to identify, let alone track, but they are a key part of commercial success and so they must be protected.

It鈥檚 important to understand the drivers behind the Grey Resignation. Some are like those mentioned above: a pandemic-prompted realization that the old ways of working do not fit with modern life, that the unknown is actually not as scary as once thought, or simply a deeper understanding of what they individually want to get out of work and life.

Like every other demographic, older workers have been exposed to new approaches to work since 2020. For some, it will have been a blip; others may well have found that remote or hybrid working suits them better.

This could be particularly true for employees that have had to balance demanding careers with caring for both elderly parents and helping with young grandchildren. The door to a more balanced way of life has been opened and people do not want to move backwards.

Some have felt forced out by changes in management and a need to cut costs during lockdowns. Voluntary redundancies and early retirements were common options during this time of urgent fiscal prudence, with many older workers feeling pressured to leave the workforce while their younger colleagues were put on furlough.

These insights are broad, and specific analysis is required in every company where there will be patterns and variations between sectors and, especially within different business functions, demographics or geographies of the companies themselves. As such, employers will need to proactively gather information to build a clear picture of what the specific drivers and motivations are that make it hard for them to retain experienced talent.

Some businesses might already have a good understanding of what鈥檚 driving out their experienced employees, but for many the mass exits may be unexpected. 听Clearly if these companies wish to grow, this sustainability issue needs to be addressed:

• Analyze and prioritize what鈥檚 happening on the ground and why particular groups of employees may have resigned. Predict which remaining employees are at risk of leaving (flight risk analysis).
• Identify demographically similar groups of employees.
• Determine priority and build tailored flight risk mitigation approaches for each demographically similar group of high flight risk workers, based on their motivational drivers to leave the business.
• Base remediation plans on each individual employee’s motivation to possibly leave the business.

How Can 51风流Help?

There are several 51风流products that can help and their value is, not least of all, that they can integrate natively with one-another:

can help transform people data consolidated from multiple sources as a trusted demographics data source and identify demographically similar groups of employees.

Experience insights gathered from employee feedback to measure sentiment, satisfaction, and engagement (the greatest predictor of flight risk) can be conducted with Employee Experience Management Solutions from 51风流and Qualtrics. ^听

Predictive capabilities in can leverage employee survey results to create a flight risk prediction, like 鈥渨ho might leave the business and why?鈥�

Armed with demographically similar groups of employees and a tool that predicts who might leave and why, organizations can then design a series of specific talent management remediation strategies to stave of potential further resignations.

Implementing each of the integrated human experience management (HXM) approaches identified to prevent resignations is the sweet spot and strength of . This is also the same world-leading integrated talent management toolset that is best placed to transform the culture and climate in the organization to help ensure future bulk resignations are far less likely.

Learn more at .

Kim Fischer is people analytics architect at 51风流SuccessFactors.

And it鈥檚 not just retail and service businesses that are losing employees and the valuable skills those employees bring. Companies across all industries and sizes are struggling to retain and hire knowledgeable workers with the right skill sets to run and grow their organizations. This is a business sustainability issue and blocker to business and digital transformation.

The pressure to retain and hire quality talent with strong digital skills in particular has intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic, as the business digitalization need was accelerated by five to 10 years. Suddenly, harnessing the Internet of Things (IoT) and investing in robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning are urgent priorities, not long-range plans. This acceleration has created employee skills gaps where organizations that might have been one or two years behind in digital skills transformation have suddenly found themselves to be a decade or more behind. This puts them at high risk of being unable to tap into the new digital economy, which is an opportunity cost few can afford.

The growing digital skills gap has also highlighted current and projected future inequalities because the gap has widened at different rates in different geographical locations and industry sectors. The looming digital divide is potentially so serious that the World Economic Forum has launched the , mobilizing a global movement, including a large number of 51风流customers and partners, to prioritize digital inclusion as foundational to the achievement of their sustainable development goals. 51风流has also prioritized its own digital literacy program.

To remain competitive and sustainable in the digital economy, businesses must have enough people with the right skills at the right time to help them accelerate their digital transformation. Every business and digital transformation is also a people transformation, but the key point is that the people transformation needs to happen first.

Embrace the 鈥淯nbound鈥� Workforce as the New Normal

Today, it seems every employee might be a flight risk, especially those with the skills that are foundational to digital transformation and economic growth. One way to address the immediate skills gap is to stem the flood of people leaving your business for greener pastures 鈥� which, for many, are more flexible and less biased work environments. Retention has always been the best form of recruitment. During the peak of COVID-19, knowledge workers were freed from the office and became, at least in their minds, fluid, liberated, and free-range employees. Many don鈥檛 want to go back to full-time office work 鈥� especially women and people of color. As noted in a previous article, pulse studies have found that women, working parents, and employees of color are the most adamant about continuing to work remotely.

And it’s for good reasons. Most employees 鈥� especially women 鈥� found that they were able to sustain high levels of productivity working remotely while gaining more time for relationships, stress-reducing activities, responsibilities such as caring for children and aging parents, and more. They could work from anywhere, at any time that worked best each day, and do their jobs well. Most employees report that they are aren鈥檛 willing to give this up because an employer says so.

The benefits of working remotely have been even more significant for people of color. For example, Black men reported a massive improvement in their employee experience because, while working remotely, they felt they have not been subject to the same level of unconscious bias. In other words, they feel that they’ve enjoyed more equality working from home 鈥� which is critical to fostering a sense of belonging and increasing the likelihood of their retention.

This is why to and meeting the needs of remote and hybrid workers is massively important from both a sustainability and a diversity, equity, and inclusion perspective. It鈥檚 critical to develop flexible work environments that balance company and employee needs and create an employee experience they love. Because the fact is, every flight risk threatens your most valued digital skills, as the people with those skills are most likely to leave.

Empower Employees to Expand Their Capabilities to Advance Individual Growth

Another way to address skills gaps is to empower employees to work in cross-functional teams based on organizational tasks or projects. This notion of coming together with others to get work done and then disbanding when the work is finished is widely referred to as dynamic teams. They can be across hierarchies or lines of business and help to create an agile working environment while fueling skill development. By leveraging internal talent, managers and human resources do not have to create new positions, find budget, recruit, or support a team creation process with other time-consuming tasks. Instead, your business organizations can simply bring together employees to form optimal teams that can focus on short term tasks and priorities.

In addition to forming dynamic teams to bridge skills gaps, organizations can also take an employee-centric approach to development and growth by providing access to internal opportunities through fellowships, gigs, temporary assignments, mentor programs, and experiential learning. This allows an organization to build the skills needed for the future while empowering individuals to create a career completely their own. Connecting employees to meaningful work and new opportunities will drive the adaptability needed for better business outcomes.

Proactively Upskill and Reskill

Finally, invest in learning and development. Why? Because every digital transformation is also a people transformation where employers must upskill and reskill their employees to meet today鈥檚 changed needs and tomorrow鈥檚 capabilities demand. Not only must organizations provide the tools to help their workforce discover learning to upskill and reskill them, but they must create an environment supportive of continuous learning. For example, complementing formal training with informal, collaborative, and engaging communities of practice can offer easy access to experts and knowledge sharing to build up skills quickly. A dynamic environment of learning, feedback, and coaching empowers people to take charge of their development with confidence. Here, learning recommendations turn every employee into a proactive learner by giving guidance and nudging them to take action.

Undeniably, closing the skills gap and striving towards sustainable growth requires organizations to create a create a future-fit, resilient workforce that directly addresses its needs as well as those of each of its employees. This can be truly transformational.

To learn more, visit .

Tammie Eldridge is part of Solution Marketing at 51风流SuccessFactors.

鈥淭his new generation of workers, whose entire lives are on their mobile devices, have completely different expectations from the employees who are walking out the door with 35 years of experience,鈥� said Mike Lackey, global vice president of Solution Management for Digital Manufacturing at SAP. 鈥淢anufacturers must attract new workers by bringing data to the point of work with intelligent mobile experiences and intuitive machine interfaces. This improves workplace safety and the worker experience, as it creates greater business efficiencies.鈥�

Connected Data Helps Meet Production Schedules

Unlike historical shop floor responsibilities, workers in Industry 4.0 factories won鈥檛 be limited to rote tasks on a single machine. They鈥檒l be cross trained to manage multiple machines, using instantaneous and integrated information from their mobile device. They鈥檒l collaborate much more across teams and departments.

鈥淚ndustry 4.0 delivers what鈥檚 called 鈥榳orker guidance,鈥� bringing information directly to the individual on the shop floor for faster and more efficient decisions,鈥� said Lackey. 鈥淢anufacturing is all about throughput, quality, and managing costs. With the right information, the operator can make sure that the equipment and the processes are running optimally, reducing machine downtime, rework, and scrap. This is the purpose of , which brings business and operational data together for informed company-wide decisions while delivering process enforcement, complete traceability, and a record of the product genealogy.鈥�

analysts predicted that in response to the reality of digital disruption, 60% of businesses will embrace a decision-making model that combines the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and human judgment for more informed decision-making by next year. Connected data between the shop floor and other parts of the business, including sales, supply chain, and finance, also has company-wide implications in meeting customer commitments.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 promise an order if you don鈥檛 have the parts to make or finish the product,鈥� said Lackey. 鈥淪imilarly, in an automated line, you might have 200 pieces of equipment from 24 different vendors. If there鈥檚 a quality issue with a material or machine malfunction, integrated data with embedded machine learning can alert shop floor workers to correctly adjust equipment to the specified parameters, minimizing production slowdowns and keeping quality high. Connected data helps workers understand the impact of their decisions on the business while increasing their ability to make a valuable contribution in a more motivated and engaged way.鈥�

Digital Improves Workplace Safety

Technology can make the workplace safer for employees, which is equally important for the worker experience and company compliance. While automation can increase the number of potential hazards, it can also keep people safe. Sensors can alert people when they鈥檙e entering a potentially dangerous area or in the moment if they get too close to a piece of equipment, preventing accidents.

Upskilled Workers Lead to Greater Employer Loyalty

Lackey expected manufacturers to invest more in training and development to reskill and upskill workers as Industry 4.0 transformation continues. A recent survey reflected that trend: researchers found that 84% of manufacturing professionals were upgrading their learning and development programs. It鈥檚 an ideal way to expand the pool of qualified employees who can make a valuable contribution to company growth. It鈥檚 also an opportunity for workers to gain skills in some of the coolest innovations.

鈥淔actories are a hotbed of innovation, offering workers a potentially faster, more cost-effective route to a satisfying career, one that might not otherwise be in reach, given the rising costs of higher education,鈥� said Lackey.

Done right, Industry 4.0 is poised to rejuvenate the manufacturing sector with a refreshing blast of innovation. Trained workers can point the camera on their digital device at a piece of equipment with embedded machine learning and make immediate adjustments using virtual 3D visualizations right in front of them on the shop floor. They can instantly connect with design engineers to quickly diagnose and fix problems or reach an external supplier to locate the correct replacement part. Manufacturers are hoping this next generation of workers come for the cool factor and stay for the career-building innovations.

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In support of this, we launched an expanded to underrepresented and underserved groups in technology, as well as a partnership with one of the world鈥檚 largest online learning providers, to meet learners where they are.

As the skills gap and search for talent within the technology industry become increasingly prominent issues, the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that . This has created a sense of urgency for companies to find professionals to fill their ever-growing technical skills needs. However, the number of future tech employees is notoriously limited. Within this small pool, women and minorities are often overlooked. In fact, only are held by women, and the number for in the industry drops even lower.

In 2022, the WEF estimated that it will take a staggering . Women and other minorities in tech face a variety of barriers that can heavily impact their technical career growth, and these challenges take root early in the form of negative stereotypes. For example, many girls internalize the harmful belief that women are not as strong in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields as men 鈥� impacting their career choices and confidence in exploring new realms.

At SAP, we believe empowering women and underrepresented individuals to grow in technical fields begins with ensuring they have access to relevant educational resources.

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Inclusive Access to Digital Skills: Introducing a Global Digital Skills Initiative

While digital transformation is not a new concept, the pandemic supercharged the rate of businesses across the globe transforming digitally, culturally, and strategically. This race to keep up with evolving technology has exposed an alarming IT skills shortage.

Research highlights that more than 75% of companies have already , and only 33% of technology jobs worldwide are . With the low rate of computing related jobs held by women and people of color today, it鈥檚 imperative that employers rethink the makeup of their workforce and expand opportunities to new talent.

Through our digital skills initiative, we aim to empower everyone to build new skills and ultimately start a career in the 51风流ecosystem.

To address this accelerated need for skills, . Through self-paced courses, participants can develop marketable skills for critical roles such as , data analysts, and technology consultants.

In addition, our . With certified 51风流solution skills, participants can get the competitive advantage they need to stand out in the job market and apply for positions around the world.

To further advance career planning within the 51风流ecosystem, , where more than 3 million members, 51风流partners, and customers can share their knowledge, provide career advice, recommend learning resources, and promote job opportunities from peer community members.

51风流Technology Consultant Certificate, Available on Coursera

We are also thrilled to launch a new collaboration with Coursera, a global online learning platform with more than 110 million learners worldwide. Together, on the Coursera platform, we are offering an , where participants can learn more about SAP, the role of a technology consultant, and the value 51风流professionals bring to customers. This offering provides focused, role-based entry-level learning resources for everyone, and is available exclusively on Coursera.

This new professional certificate has no prerequisites, minimizing the barrier to entry and preparing learners within just a few months for an in-demand, entry-level digital role. Following completion of the certificate on Coursera, learners can deepen their knowledge in 51风流solutions with further on 51风流Learning site.

In gaining the entry-level knowledge necessary to begin upskilling on SAP, learners add significant value to their careers. In fact, individuals that have completed IT certifications , with 61% reporting promotions or career advancements, 91% seeing an increase in confidence in abilities, and 76% feeling greater job satisfaction. These marketable skills can open the door to numerous career growth opportunities.

With the launch of our global skills initiative and Coursera partnership, we aim to expand our efforts in lowering the barrier to accessing digital skill development opportunities to build a larger and more diverse ecosystem of tech professionals. Through our existing programs such as and , we are reaching underserved communities with digital upskilling opportunities to create lasting socioeconomic impact for all.

Max Wessel is chief learning officer at SAP.

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

At SAP, we know that it鈥檚 a big responsibility to ensure that this knowledge is pervasive. That鈥檚 why we also recognize the need to simplify the act of reskilling. Our increasingly busy schedules and the fast pace of our day-to-day work often pull us away from learning. It鈥檚 not easy to find time to sharpen our skills and learn new ones.

So, when you do make time to focus on your learning, the process of finding the right material should be simple and streamlined 鈥� and the content comprehensive. At 51风流Learning, we鈥檝e reinforced our commitment to removing barriers to learning by making it simpler to discover our content and easier to navigate our platforms.

Because success is rooted in learning, it鈥檚 critical to have all the support you need right at your fingertips to move forward easily and consistently.

Empowering the Individual Learner

Today鈥檚 learners demand a personalized experience to cultivate their skills. Almost every individual with an Internet connection has been introduced to the ease of consumer-grade applications 鈥� and we know that learning content competes with every distraction. To that end, it is critical to create engaging content and offer enjoyable experiences that empower individuals at every stage of their career and learning journey. Therefore, 51风流Learning is taking a new approach to delivering a digitally native and learner-focused experience.

As part of our ongoing and reimagined commitment to enhancing learning opportunities, we鈥檝e launched an all-new that includes a comprehensive array of learning content available in various formats 鈥� from expert-led sessions and hands-on training to microlearning videos. By opening the door to accessible opportunities for everyone to upskill, reskill, and validate 51风流skills, we are focusing squarely on the success of our ecosystem and meeting our learners where they are. After all, learning should make your life easier, not more complicated.

We鈥檙e proud of the progress we鈥檙e making. We also look forward to hearing more feedback from our community so we can bring continuous improvement to our operations.

Equipping for the Needs of Tomorrow

Designed to be simple and intuitive to navigate, the will become the one-stop-shop that brings together the expansive portfolio of well-established 51风流learning offerings. With our 51风流TechEd releases, learners in development roles as well as future developers can quickly start and gain 51风流skills in core innovation areas and prepare for an at no cost. The site features access to various free content for upskilling with , including a brand-new learning journey focused on .

We鈥檙e also partnering with , a career coaching service provider, so that the first 1,000 developers who complete a certification exam on 51风流BTP through the new site will receive a voucher for services like r茅sum茅 review, LinkedIn screening, and career coaching. And now through November 2022, all registered learners on the 51风流Learning site can utilize select services from Placement as well as enjoy access to Placement鈥檚 Job Board at a discounted price.

Looking to the future, the site will continue to support all learners鈥� career development and accelerate broader organizational transformations by extending the scope to include all free 51风流Learning content. For more details, watch the or check out the on your own.

It鈥檚 never been easier to get started building and achieving 51风流skills 鈥� and it鈥檚 only the beginning for this new chapter of 51风流Learning.

Max Wessel is EVP and chief learning officer at SAP.

Today, we are furthering that commitment through a new program with Brooks Crossing Innovation Lab. The Newport News, Va.-based after-school instructional hub is dedicated to learning driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and grounded in team building and collaboration. At the lab, students of all ages, abilities, and disciplines learn valuable skills by designing creative solutions to real-world problems.

鈥淪AP鈥檚 support for Brooks Crossing Innovation Lab will not only boost a love for learning,鈥� said Mia Joe, the lab鈥檚 director, 鈥渋t will also make a generational impact on workforce development by providing more access to specialized educational resources and more opportunity for children during early and impressionable developmental stages.鈥�

The alliance is yet another logical outgrowth of , a community for youth all over the world who are passionate about innovation and technology 鈥� and who want to influence the way our digital world will take shape. 51风流works with colleagues, ambassadors, and a global network of diverse institutions to provide students with the opportunity to learn and practice their skills every day, all around the world.

At 鈥� the result of a collaboration among Newport News Shipbuilding, Old Dominion University, and the City of Newport News 鈥� SAP鈥檚 participation will lead to:

• Integration of 51风流Young Thinkers learning modules that encourage creative learning and social innovation
• Professionals from all participating organizations teaching workshops for K-12 and adult learners
• Increased collaboration on curriculum offerings and industry-led design thinking activities

The program officially got rolling with a kick-off event in Newport News last month, highlighting a day in the life of the lab鈥檚 students and allowing them to create a game that was presented to 51风流executives.

鈥淢eeting the instructor and the kids in this program was a powerful testament to the good that can be accomplished in our community,鈥� said 51风流Regulated Industries Chief Operating Officer Scott Thatcher. 鈥淭he night was energetic and engaging, and it was thrilling to see the kids so locked in.鈥�

This is only the beginning of the relationship between 51风流and Brooks Crossing Innovation Lab, but Thatcher is eagerly anticipating the children鈥檚 continued growth, whether it be in coding skills or social skills.

鈥淚t was incredible getting to meet the people directly involved in this initiative and to see those in the community show up and invest of themselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is going to have a real lifelong impact on these kids and their confidence, and I can鈥檛 wait to watch it happen.鈥�

Even at her young age, Victory is no stranger to publicity. Earlier this year, she was offered 19 full scholarships to study at North American universities (She ended up picking MIT). But hers is no rags-to-riches story. The eldest daughter of two smart parents, a university lecturer mother and a father who works in procurement and supply chain management, Victory has always pushed herself to the limit. 鈥淢y mother taught me how to hustle, and without this scholarship I could never have afforded to study in the U.S.,鈥� she points out.

Youth Ambassador and IT Role Model for Girls

Victory is looking forward to getting involved in this year鈥檚 , of which she is the official youth ambassador. Girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have traditionally lagged behind boys, which is why 51风流and Camden Education Trust, the founders of Africa Code Week, are on a mission to make a difference 鈥� one African community at a time. Now in its seventh year, the program was proud to report 47% female participation in 2020. The event, which includes the popular AfriCANCode Challenge, has an enormous reach of 54 countries, with millions of children and youth participating. Last year, the program completely shifted to the exciting online world due to COVID-19.

鈥淚 participate in digital youth skills initiatives like Africa Code Week because I am passionate about empowering young people in underserved communities,鈥� she says. Last year, she created an educational video encouraging children to learn computer programming with Scratch, MIT鈥檚 free online learning tool for coding. 鈥淪cratch is how I was introduced to coding,鈥� she says, mentioning all its various applications that make it fun for kids, from interactive stories and games to animations. Scratch forms an integral part of Africa Code Week, encouraging teachers and African governments to see how easy it is to get kids into coding and fast-track them to the 21^st century. To date, nine countries have adopted coding as a school subject thanks to the ongoing awareness, support, and contributions from the Africa Code Week program.

A proud, female code representative, Victory wears many hats and keeps herself busy with multiple projects. In addition to Africa Code Week, she is actively involved with , a nonprofit organization that promotes ICT development, youth innovation, and entrepreneurship across Africa.

鈥淢y first听introduction to Coderina was during the pandemic last year. I helped facilitate the Lifelong Learning听Program (LLP) sessions where young people were able to learn from a virtual听space about everything digital skills related, from coding to 3D printing. I also taught a class during this period on design thinking and innovation.听This year, I was a coach to the First Lego League (FLL) team comprising of a group of girls in secondary school in Nigeria. FLL is an exciting international robotics competition that is largely driven by Coderina.鈥�

Passionate About Finding Solutions

When asked what she likes about coding, Victory is unequivocal: she wants to find solutions. 鈥淚 love the challenge of being given a problem and using technology to find a way to solve it,鈥� she says. In 2019, she was part of the winning African team in the global mobile app building competition, Technovation. 鈥淭he problem we had to solve was double parking, which is common in Nigeria,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲e developed an app that uses location sensors to enable your phone to pick up whenever another car parks you in, so you can step outside and speak to the owner or can communicate with the owner via instant messaging on the app.鈥�

It is this same passion for solving problems that has made her pursue a career in computer science and molecular biology. 鈥淭here are so many different applications of these novel, overlapping fields, from aspects of synthetic biology to RNA sequencing in bioinformatics,鈥� she says. Some of the questions that interest her are whether DNA can be used to store digital data and what machine learning tools can be used to model a vaccine to tackle the next variant of the coronavirus.

One thing she鈥檚 sure about is that she doesn鈥檛 want to be put in a box. 鈥淭oo many young people are fixated about their future career, wanting to become a doctor, engineer, or lawyer,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o many things are unconventional now. Rather than having a fixed profession, I want to say, 鈥業 do computational biology and it allows me to proffer solutions to this and that.鈥欌�� Having a problem-solving mindset will elevate young Africans to be the change they want to see in the world, she believes 鈥� with a little bit of help from technology, of course.

Adam Hunter is EMEA communications lead for 51风流CSR.

While many educational programs struggled with the complex demands of distance learning during the pandemic, the 51风流Young Professionals program gained advantage in a digital environment by opening its online classrooms to tap into new markets and attract qualified, recent university graduates, who otherwise might not have been able to attend classes in-person. As a result of this expansion, 51风流partners and customers in the evolving markets of Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will now have access to a wider pool of qualified 51风流consultants who are certified on SAP鈥檚 latest innovations.

For customers like , the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent, working with 51风流Young Professionals is a win-win opportunity for talent development. 鈥淎t Dangote Group, we always encouraged young, talented professionals in our large transformational projects in Africa,鈥� says Ramakrishna Potluri, head of IT and Business Applications at Dangote Refinery and Dangote Projects, Dangote Group. 鈥淲e are happy to partner with the 51风流Young Professionals program, which enabled us in recruiting bright, young minds who are trained in the latest 51风流technologies and soft skills like design thinking to be readily deployed in our 51风流Center of Expertise. This is a great program for our growing 51风流talent requirements.鈥�

Digital Skills Bridge the Gap to the Job Market

Having earned the sought-after professional designation of 51风流associate consultant, graduates of the 51风流Young Professionals program are skilled on the most recent versions of 51风流software and career-ready for placement with 51风流partners and customers in their region. The program boasts a job placement rate of 95% globally. To date, more than 3,220 people have graduated from the program since its inception in late 2012. The program is free of cost for its selected learners.

51风流is investing to increase the number of trained and certified 51风流consultants in the 51风流ecosystem to support customers with . IDC estimates new employment in the ecosystem will rise to 1.6 million employees by 2024, up from 1 million in 2020. Of the 600,000 new employees added to the 51风流ecosystem, 280,000 will be net-new consultant roles, making 51风流skills a valuable commodity in the job market.

As a newly graduated 51风流Young Professionals talent, Lama Alnuwaiser recently began her job at in Saudi Arabia. She says that the program鈥檚 three-month curriculum is very learning-intensive, with advanced training on SAP鈥檚 innovations. The 51风流trainers supported each learner individually, despite the unusual demands of the pandemic.

鈥淚n these three months, 51风流has provided us with a tremendous amount of knowledge, especially in the field of data science, which will bridge the gap between us and the labor market,鈥� Alnuwaiser said in a speech at her virtual graduation ceremony. 鈥�51风流focused on us on a personal level, where they provided us with presentation, communication, and design thinking skills training.鈥�

The pandemic forced many young people to reconsider what were originally deemed safe paths to career development and personal happiness. Among them is Hasan 脰rnek, an 51风流Young Professionals talent in Turkey. 鈥淲hen the pandemic first hit, a cloud of uncertainty covered my life and I truly felt hopeless as a recent graduate,鈥� 脰rnek recalled.

鈥淓verything changed when I came across an article on how COVID-19 would shape the workforce of tomorrow, what new skills would emerge, and some recommendations to surviving in an environment full of uncertainty. This is when the 51风流Young Professionals program stepped into my life for a journey that has transformed and prepared me for my professional life,鈥� said 脰rnek, who is now employed by , an 51风流partner in Turkey.

A Common Learner Profile Unites Diverse Cultures

There is a common learner profile for the talents that the 51风流Young Professionals program attracts across geographies. The program is typically suited to recent university graduates with a technical or business background, depending on the track鈥檚 disciplines, who are either unemployed or underemployed in one of SAP鈥檚 focus markets. Rebecca Gloria Akello鈥檚 story echoes many of the common themes in the journeys of 51风流Young Professionals.

Akello, who lives in Uganda, was underemployed, earning little money, and had few prospects for advancement in a volatile job market. Motivated and self-reliant, she had begun to study for her MBA with hopes that she could secure a better job. She was unfamiliar with 51风流when she first saw an advertisement for the 51风流Young Professionals program. 鈥淲hen I came across the program advert on LinkedIn, I thought to myself, 鈥極kay this is going to be like any other internship or apprenticeship done by big corps for public relations.鈥欌�� With little to lose, she applied to the program, driven by curiosity and a desire to meet new people, learn new concepts, and be exposed to new opportunities.

That intrepidity paid off for Akello, who received a job offer from an 51风流customer following her graduation. At her virtual graduation ceremony, she underscored the intrinsic value of the 51风流certifications and professional soft skills that she earned through the program. 鈥淲e have been energized to strive towards our dreams relentlessly, and today we have been honored with our 51风流certifications,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur networks have also grown beyond local and regional borders.鈥�

Accelerating Digital Skills Development on the African Continent

The 51风流Young Professionals program has already trained more than 1,550 young people in Africa as part of 51风流Skills for Africa, an 51风流umbrella initiative focused on skills development and job creation. Training multi-country cohorts in a virtual setting, a necessity of the pandemic, has accelerated the expansion of the program鈥檚 footprint on the continent. In 2021 alone, talents from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Angola, and Mozambique have graduated from the program.

Since mid-2019, 51风流has been working with the Deutsche Gesellschaft f眉r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with the aim to jointly create 450听jobs for highly qualified personnel in the IT听sector in 10听African countries over the course of three years. The cooperation project is part of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation and the develoPPP program that GIZ implements on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is executed by the 51风流Training and Development Institute as part of the established 51风流Young Professionals program.

In June, the 51风流Young Professionals program achieved a new milestone with the graduation of its first-ever class in Portuguese-speaking Africa, comprising Angola and Mozambique. Constantin Zelenty, deputy head of Mission at the German Embassy in Angola, joined 51风流customers, partners, and executives in celebrating the milestone with a virtual graduation ceremony. “In order for Angolan companies to grow and succeed in our modern age, they need to harness the transformative power of digital technologies along with rightly skilled talent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e hope this may be the first of many groups of graduates who can apply their expertise in service of Angola鈥檚 ambitions for the modern digital economy.”

In the 1940s, Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian biochemist Albert鈥疭zent-Gyoergyi wrote: 鈥淭he future will be like the schools are today.鈥� In 2021, these words still ring true, even more so for the winners of the European Code League competition, Dr. Corina Toma and Mihaela Giurgea, along with their students from Tiberiu Popoviciu High School of Computer Science in Romania. Second and third place went to teams from Turkey and Greece.

Change Is the Only Constant, but Changemakers Are Ever Changing

The pandemic has been quite a revelation in this aspect, with unexpected and seemingly limitless opportunities presenting themselves and youth grabbing them with both hands.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, around 65% of children who start primary school today will work in professions that do not even exist yet: their future lies in the hands of educators. To date, Science on Stage reaches about 100,000 teachers and teacher trainers in over 30 countries, providing a necessary network to exchange ideas and to scale them across Europe. And with 79% of participating teachers implementing the teaching ideas they鈥檝e seen at Science on Stage festivals over the years, European Code League has proven that it鈥檚 possible for teachers and students to work together — even in the midst of a pandemic — to create inspiring, real-world science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects.

Organized by Science on Stage with the鈥痵upport of the 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility (51风流CSR) team in Middle Eastern Europe, the European鈥疌ode League鈥痠s a鈥痗ompetition鈥痶o which teacher-student teams with innovative鈥痗oding鈥痯rojects can apply. It was launched in 2020 as a follow up to Science on Stage鈥檚 .

鈥淪cience on Stage gave me the opportunity to find new ways to motivate my students to learn physics using ICT,鈥� says Dr. Toma, who became a teacher after 10 years working as a physicist. 鈥淧hysics is everywhere and happens at any time. In the classroom, I am at home. I like to talk with my students and explain all kinds of topics.鈥�

Science on Stage Europe is a network for STEM teachers focusing on the exchange of best practice teaching ideas. The ultimate goal is to improve STEM teaching by supporting educators in their professional development and growth.

鈥淭eachers are often the ideas, the starting point. Students who finish high school do not know what their role in the world will be,鈥� Dr Toma adds. “These projects show how important it is to code, and also to learn STEM subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.”

CaeliBox, the winning coding project, used sensors to measure different air parameters such as concentration of CO2, humidity, pressure, temperature, noise, and other noxious substances in the studennts’ town. The data was transferred to a server so the students could access and work with it at any time.

鈥淢y town in Romania used to be small but now it is very big. As a result, the air is polluted because we have so many cars. CaeliBox is a useful device for STEM education and our students were happy to combine coding with physics and technology,鈥� explains Dr. Toma, who adds that she faced many challenges trying to complete the project, from broken sensors to realizing they needed more space and swapping out their Arduino Uno for an Arduino Mega.

For Dr. Toma, Science on Stage is far more than a networking opportunity for teachers, it鈥檚 a community of like-minded educators: 鈥淎t first, I saw that the education in Romania is very different from other countries, but then I realized that as teachers we have the same goals and can make the same activities. Science on Stage is a community to challenge our ideas and to understand that we are in the same place. 51风流can be very proud for supporting STEM teaching training in Europe.鈥�

There is no one way to make the world a better place. By helping discover and promote innovative teaching concepts among Europe鈥檚 science teachers, Science on Stage and the European Code League enable more students to gain the digital skills they need for a challenging future and encourage them to consider a career in science, ICT or engineering to help the positively change the world.

In a world shaped increasingly by technology and digitalization, teachers make the difference and the youth of today have so many more opportunities to learn and be the change.

The 12th European Science on Stage festival takes place March 24-27, 2022, in鈥疨rague, Czech Republic. Stay tuned to see amazing youth in action, redefining how a career in science, ICT, or engineering can help make a positive change in the world.

According to Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, it is necessary to make enormous changes in digital education.

An earnest attempt to increase digital literacy across Europe is what sparked the creation of Meet and Code in 2017, with the aim to ignite interest into the world of technology and coding and empower youth to shape their digital future. Fast forward a few years later and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Meet and Code continues to connect and engage with children and youth and has successfully delivered 1,325 online events across 35 European countries in 2020, reaching more than 39,500 learners from 500 cities.

Europe鈥檚 Favorite Digital Skills Youth Initiative Turns Five

Now in its fifth year, Meet and Code returns with an exciting virtual twist. Specially aligned to in October, Meet and Code will support with digital coding events reaching far and wide. for local non-profits across Europe to submit their coding event concepts for ages eight to 24 and could receive up to 鈧�500 in funding. Registration for funding is open until September 8, 2021.

鈥淪ince the beginning of time, humans have created with stone, iron, paper, and pencil,鈥� says Alessandro Bogliolo, EU Code Week Ambassadors Coordinator. “Now we live in a different era, where we mold our world in code. During Code Week we want to give everyone the opportunity to discover coding and have fun with it.”

In addition to the online workshops, Meet and Code also hosts an awards ceremony to honor the most creative event ideas to get youth excited about coding. Once again, this year鈥檚 initiative will call upon local non-profits to submit their unique coding events linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The most successful workshops will not only be acknowledged and celebrated, but will also receive prize money for their hard work and efforts.

Celebrating EU Code Week, Fabrizia Benini, deputy director of Digital Transformation at the European Commission says, 鈥淚n October, EU Code Week will again celebrate creativity, problem solving, and innovation and bring coding to millions of young people in Europe and beyond. A special focus will be placed on reaching schools. To empower as many young people as possible, EU Code Week collaborates with organizations such as Meet and Code.鈥�

Five Ways Tech-Savvy Youth Can Shape the Future

Digital technologies are a staple in everyday life; they are also transforming European schools and classrooms. Youth today need digital skills to be ready for the future. The 21st century is centered around computational technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics.

Coding is one way to expose youth to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics from an early age so that they can develop skills and expertise to fulfill their professional and personal aspirations.

1. Coding teaches programming fundamentals and formal logic. At its core, children learn how to break down a problem into essential elements and create a solution. Coding sharpens problem-solving skills and increases focus.
2. Coding prepares kids for an increasingly technology-based future. Many jobs involve understanding the limitations and capabilities of code — from design to e-commerce, architecture, and data science.
3. Coding provides an empowering skill set and supports developing confidence. In a world that is constantly asking us to adapt to new technologies and digital innovations, children who code will better understand what software they use, what it can do, and why.
4. Learning how to code helps children better understand how the world around them works, because code is used in everyday life.
5. Coding is one of the most widely used languages in the world. If a child can learn computational thinking and design patterns while learning to code, they will be able to code in any coding language.

Behind Meet and Code are founding partners SAP, , and , with the respective country partners of the TechSoup Europe network. In 2020, the joined as a European partner. Haus des Stiftens gGmbH is responsible for the overall initiative.

Coding is one of the many digital tools that is redefining the youth and changing the world as we know it

Inspired to bring a change? Find out more about Meet and Code, apply for funding, and get involved by visiting . Connect on , , and using the hashtags #SAP4Good #MeetandCode and #CodeEU.

Adam Hunter is communications lead for 51风流CSR EMEA.

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.