Dubbed the SAP Dual Study Program, the initiative has awarded scholarships to thirty students towards the globally recognised SAP Associate Financial Consultant certification.

SAP Africa and Kenya's Strathmore University announced a partnership on a job creation program under the SAP Skills for Africa Initiative today.

The SAP Dual Study Program will equip students with technical training, a chance to enhance their business acumen and refine their project management, communication, presentation, negotiation, among other skill sets.

Thirty students have won SAP sponsored scholarships towards the globally recognised SAP Associate Financial Consultant certification through the program which begins next month and ends in March 2016. Participants will then receive internship and employment opportunities at SAP Eco System according to program organisers.

Andrew Waititu, managing director at SAP East Africa emphasised SAP's commitment to the African continent as part of the announcement of the partnership.

"SAP is committed to driving business in Africa with the ultimate objective of improving people's lives through deployment of innovative industry specific solutions in mainly the public sector, energy & natural resources, telcos and infrastructure. This commitment is backed by a Board-approved investment plan up to 2020."

Victor Kyalo, CEO of Kenya's ICT Authority which partnered with SAP on the Skills for Africa programme in 2012 spoke with excitement about the new cooperation between SAP and Strathmore. "When we started working on the SAP Skills for Africa Programme our vision was that of ensuring that we have adequate high-end ICT skills in Kenya. This would ensure that our young people have jobs and our companies are sustainable. I am glad that these skills are now being inculcated right at the university level, before students get to the job market. I want to congratulate Strathmore and SAP for taking up this initiative and call on more universities to partner with SAP."

Dr. Joseph Sevilla, director of Strathmore University's @iLAbAfrica ICT Research centre said the partnership would go towards deepening the university's academia/industry collaboration.

"Strathmore University and SAP share the vision of developing partnerships that advance the availability and relevance of technical skills in the market. We see this win-win initiative further encouraging the deepening of automation by African businesses through use of enterprise software products such as SAP."