As more than 1 billion jobs are liable to be transformed by technology within the next decade, according to estimates from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the requirements for job profiles and skills are changing.
To keep their competitive edge in the job market, professionals need to upskill and reskill in increasingly shorter intervals, but numbers show that 39% fear a lack of sufficient training. At the same time, traditional education is losing relevance in many industries, with organizations increasingly moving away from a sole focus on university degrees. Instead, short courses, certifications, and practical skills have become increasingly important.
Recognizing the need for transparency around proven project expertise, SAP enhanced its established skill validation program for SAP professionals. The company is paving the way for individual career growth and business success by introducing a record of project experience in a pilot with first partners like Accenture and IBM.
We believe the enhanced visibility of practical experience can benefit well seasoned SAP professionals and set them up for success. In addition to their SAP Certification, a record of project experience can help expand competitive edge and, ultimately, foster career growth. Recent reports show that 92% of certified employees felt more confident in their abilities, 84% felt more determined to succeed professionally, and 37% received salary increases. The same report states that 81% of certified employees produce higher quality work, while 77% are more innovative.
“The record of project experience can help the SAP ecosystem drive success by making the practical and successful project expertise of professionals visible,” says SAP Chief Learning Officer Max Wessel. “Tens of thousands of customers have deployed SAP software to thrive in the cloud, leading to a skyrocketing demand for skilled people. With the record of project experience, partners can benefit from a tailored recognition of expertise past the certification and a higher employee retention rate. Customers can expect high-quality projects and fast implementation. And SAP professionals have the chance to put themselves in the lead on the job market. It’s a true win-win situation for all.”
SAP partners oversee almost 90% of all SAP implementations, representing a huge pool of talented and experienced SAP professionals. This new approach adds the validation of practical experience and SAP expertise. It supports SAP’s mission to address the shortage of digital skills in the partner ecosystem. Newly certified consultants will provide support in cloud computing, digital transformation, and analytics to improve the quality of services offered by SAP partners to their customers.
Professionals are eligible if they have customer references showing the applied and certified skills. The record of project experience is awarded to nominated advanced SAP professionals with a track record of expertise in the public edition of SAP S/4HANA Cloud or SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), who also demonstrate a valid SAP Certification in one of these SAP solution areas.
Co-validating expertise strengthens an employee’s position, leads to higher employee retention for employers, and gives customers the confidence that fast implementations and high-quality projects are on the way. That’s a triple win.
To learn more, visit the Learning area of sap.com.
Steffen Burger is senior vice president of Partner Solution Adoption for Partner Ecosystem Success at SAP.