Thirty students have been awarded scholarships towards the globally recognized SAP Associate Financial Consultant certification by the SAP (System, Applications and Products) Skills for Africa Initiative. This is a joint job-creation initiative by SAP Africa and Strathmore University.
Apart from the technical training, the students will get a chance to enhance their business acumen and refine their project management, communication, presentation, negotiation among other skill sets. The program kicks off in October 2015 and runs up to March 2016 when the students will sit for their certification exam. Afterwards, participants will get an internship opportunity in the SAP Eco System, which will eventually lead to full employment.
A key component of SAP’s Africa Growth Plan, is the training of new consultants in Africa in the next five years. These skilled people will enable governments and private sector to improve the way they do business across the continent and ultimately the world. In 2012, the ICT Authority and SAP partnered to roll out the Skills for Africa programme and offer specialised skills certifications to bright graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and women. Out of the initiative, a total of 63 graduates were presented with SAP Certification in 2014 and 52 were awarded in 2013. Most of the graduates are now gainfully employed.
This program is being offered at the iLabAfrica Research Centre which is under Strathmore’s Faculty of Information Technology.