Technology increasingly permeates every aspect of our day-to-day lives. It can feel daunting to keep up with everything from having artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in tools we’ve been using for years to seeing business models shift as software starts to find its way into every aspect of competition. To make it easier to develop relevant skills for such a volatile environment, last year SAP embarked on a journey to upskill millions of people worldwide in search of opportunity.
This year, we’re focused on facilitating the career growth of existing SAP professionals as demand for their skills accelerates faster and faster. As of today, three major innovations will bring even more support to these professionals around the globe. Our future-focused learning content on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition is now available to anyone with an Internet connection. We also introduced our plan to make SAP Learning Hub the gateway to an unparalleled learning experience. Finally, we launched a role-based certification for enterprise architects, today’s most in-demand and best-paid role in the industry.
All these innovations are part of our ongoing commitment to support workforce reinvention. We believe that in times of change, we have the remarkable opportunity to put our community in the position to seize career opportunities and accelerate business transformation.
It Starts with the Right Future-Focused Learning
From supply chain shortages and rising gas prices to inflation and shifting customer needs, many organizations rely on automated processes that enable them to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape and drive success. In this volatile atmosphere, tens of thousands of organizations have deployed SAP solutions to support them on their path to a technological future, leading to skyrocketing demand for SAP talent.
To meet this increasing demand and to help businesses succeed on their cloud journey, SAP is making our strategic learning content on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition available to everyone – all that is needed is an Internet connection. By lowering the barrier to accessing this content, more professionals can prepare for cloud-driven projects while staying on track with continuous learning, enhancing their digital skill set. In turn, customers can expect to gain a competitive advantage in their industry by equipping their employees with these tools and resources.
It Pays to Be an Enterprise Architect – In More Ways than One
As organizations continue to shift more of their workload to the cloud, we also see that the role of the enterprise architect is becoming increasingly vital. Bridging the gap between business and technology, enterprise architects ensure companies can reach their desired business outcomes through the effective use of technology. Recent numbers prove the demand for this role: it was ranked as the No. 1 best career in 2022 on Glassdoor, highlighting high job satisfaction and a competitive salary.
Recognizing the advantages that the role of enterprise architect can offer both individuals and organizations, we have introduced the first role-based certification program for professionals aspiring to become an enterprise architect today. This prerequisite intermediate certification demonstrates comprehensive understanding of SAP solutions, business, and strategic aspects of enterprise architecture and ultimately helps SAP professionals to increase career security and growth. At the same time, the certification can provide organizations with the confidence that their employees are gaining the competitive skills needed to drive significant business value on a large scale.
“ASUG enthusiastically supports SAP’s enterprise architect certification program and recommends that every SAP customer sponsor their enterprise architects to complete the certification and require any partner working on their behalf to be certified,” said Geoff Scott, CEO and chief community champion, ASUG.
We believe that, in addition to investing in the upskilling of students and minorities in tech with our digital skills initiative to equip the next generation of IT workers, we have now taken an immense step to support professionals and organizations in the SAP ecosystem with this in-demand certification.
A Successful Workforce Transformation Requires Transparency and Insights
As many professionals are experiencing changing expectations surrounding their current roles and are looking to meet these shifts and advance in their careers, we must deliver new ways to help them upskill. After all, it is estimated that 39% of employees have expressed concern over lack of digital training. We have seen that the rate of success surrounding upskilling can rise further when leadership has access to data that allows them to guide their workforce transformation according to their specific business needs.
To take these circumstances into account, we have announced a new SAP Learning site integration where subscribers to SAP Learning Hub will have seamless access to digital courses, streamlining training programs to strengthen their digital skill set and help drive transformation for their company as a whole. With this new integration, SAP Learning Hub will become the gateway to a reinvented, premium digital learning experience.
For the first time, subscribers to the private cloud version of SAP Learning Hub can benefit from exclusive learning management and reporting functionalities across solutions and platforms. These enhancements enable customers to access key insights and analytics that can help them plan and control their team’s skills transformation with transparency and help ensure long-term business value. For example, 93% of CEOs who introduce upskilling programs see increased productivity, an improvement in talent acquisition and retention, and a more resilient workforce.
At SAP, we recognize the challenges and opportunities that transformation presents both to our customers and SAP professionals, which is why we have taken the next step in paving the way for unparalleled career growth and business transformation. By equipping employees with the tools and resources they need to enhance their skill set, organizations can reach new heights while employees increase their potential for future career opportunities.
Max Wessel is chief learning officer at SAP.