Market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing), in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and Multi Media University, today kicked off an ICT skills training programme to enhance employability for graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The programme, part of a larger African effort focusing on five countries that was officially launched by SAP in May, began pilot preparation in Kenya in September 2012. The East Africa chapter targets approximately 75 university graduates annually and is focused on a variety of skills key to success in today’s competitive job environment, including SAP certification.
The go-live of this programme in Kenya today comes against the backdrop of the pressing demand for technology solutions as well as the need for the right talent to be developed in Africa, specifically with a view to employability. The six-week training module, hosted at Multi Media University in Ongata Rongai, will cover technology, business, finance, logistics as well as critical soft business skills. Graduates from the course will then be matched with job internships with SAP customers and partners, including some of Kenya’s leading companies.
Dr Fred Matiangi, ICT Cabinet Secretary, presided over the event. Also in attendance were Kenya ICT Board Acting CEO, Victor Kyalo, and SAP officials including Franck Cohen, SAP’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) President, and Pfungwa Serima, CEO of SAP Africa.
With growth and the scarcity of skills on the African continent top of mind, this programme – a first of its kind in the industry in Africa – will offer selected students across the continent the opportunity to develop world-class IT and business skills, effectively giving them an opportunity to play a role in contributing towards Africa’s future economic growth and infrastructure development.
The Skills for Africa programme, a multimillion-euro investment, is the African chapter of the SAP Workforce of the Future campaign aimed at tackling various complex skills challenges in EMEA, and part of SAP’s global mission to help the world run better and improve people’s lives.
Editorial contacts
Antonia Stafford Ashton
(+27) 21 528 1700
antonia.ashton@sap.com
Keshia Govindsamy
(+27) 11 709 9645
Keshia.govindsamy@ogilvypr.co.za
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