SAP to tackle business IT skills shortage head on – for SAP

The announcement comes hard on the heels of an international survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by SAP, that identified concerns over recruitment for C-level business executives. SAP says it is taking a proactive role “as a preferred global employer, a leader of a customer and partner ecosystem in which 50% of the world’s business transactions touch an SAP system, and as a leading provider of business software”. Its University Alliances programme comprises nearly 900 colleges and universities in 30 countries, providing some 150,000 students with IT and business process management skills. Beyond this, SAP says it is also supporting sourcing efforts for its 3,850-plus partners to keep them fed with people having SAP skills. Specifically, to address the need for qualified entry-level applicants, SAP is introducing what it describes as “a more affordable and accessible certification programme for university students”. Although starting in the US, Canada and Latin America, SAP says it will be rolled out globally by the end of this year. The predicted result: more students will get baseline business process integration certification with an in-depth understanding of ERP software. Dr Raymond Boykin, associate dean, College of Business, California State University, says it’s a significant enhancement to course offerings. “The SAP programme can help our faculty teach the skills that hiring companies across industries critically need, which goes beyond IT expertise to address the ability to manage change and think strategically,” he says.