The National Information Technology (NIT) Academy and global technology company SAP have joined hands to develop Saudi talent for the workforce of the future, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

In this partnership, the NIT, a not-for-profit training institute, has joined SAP’s flagship digital skill build initiative, the Young Professional Program, as part of its aim to provide Saudi nationals with advanced and accelerated training programs to develop a “job-ready” talent pool.

“Our strategic partnership with SAP through its Young Professional Program is supporting digital skills development, and bridging the gap between supply and demand of information and communication technology talent by increasing job opportunities through training on the latest technologies for Saudi nationals,” said Majed Al-Ghassab, NIT Executive Director. “Through this initiative, Saudi talent will be empowered to meet the requirements of the current and future job market.”

The NIT was established by four founding stakeholders: Saudi Aramco, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), and Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC).

Building on the success of the Young Professional Program in Saudi Arabia since its launch in late 2012, NIT is joining forces on the upcoming edition of the program in the Kingdom.

“The collaboration with SAP is fundamental to improving training outcomes since SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software,” added Majed Al-Ghassab. “The National IT Academy was designed to be the leading training academy for ICT disciplines, providing demand-based trainings that bridge the skills gap between academia and the industry by suppling a highly motivated, skilled and job-ready Saudi workforce.”

Young Professional Program Teaches Technical, Soft, and Future Skills

The Young Professional Program is a three-month training and development opportunity for unemployed or underemployed local university graduates that teaches technical and functional knowledge of the latest technologies, along with soft and future skills.

Participants graduate as SAP Certified Associate Consultants with globally recognized certifications, ready to kick-start their careers within the company’s ecosystem of customers and partners.

With 77 percent of the world’s transaction revenue touching an SAP system, the program helps its participants to gain a competitive edge in the job market and at the same time it supports organizations to find sought after skilled talents to satisfy their hiring demand.

The upcoming program will be the first of its kind in the Kingdom, including training and certification in data science, along with analytics cloud and predictive analytics.

“In light of the very different post-pandemic world that lies ahead, the urgency to close the digital skills gap and support youth skills development is more evident and critical than ever before,” said Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President Digital Skills Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, SAP and Managing Director, SAP Training and Development Institute. “Organisations of all kinds share the responsibility to take action and secure a bright digital future bursting with possibility for all.”

The Young Professional Program has become a global best practice that supports the immediate employability of young talents in technology through collaboration and partnerships.

The program has, since its launch in 2012, trained and graduated more than 2870 talents across 25 countries globally with over 580 from Saudi Arabia, therefore created sustainable work opportunities for the new digital economy.

“SAP continues to drive various initiatives to close the digital skills gap, in line with our purpose of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives,” added Marita Mitschein. “We are delighted to partner with the National Information Technology (NIT) Academy for the upcoming cohort of our Young Professional Program in Saudi Arabia.”

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