Dubai, United Arab Emirates : World tech leader SAP and INJAZ Al-Arab, a member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, the world’s largest non-profit business education organization, gathered with partners RBK and Re:Coded to celebrate the Digital Skills for Today program, SAP’s CSR signature initiative for MENA which has impacted over 87,132 youth across 14 countries.
With technology and innovation accelerating, people are increasingly concerned about the existence of future jobs. Seeking to open a path for young people, including refugees, vulnerable peoples, women, and minorities, to rebuild their identities and secure a better future, Digital Skills for Today, consists of immersive career accelerating bootcamps, as well as basic coding skills workshops for younger children.
Commenting on the partnership, Akef Aqrabawi, CEO, INJAZ Al-Arab, said: “INJAZ Al-Arab strives to bridge the gap between education and the job market through hands-on, highly relevant training and mentoring programs. SAP’s Digital Skills for Today program is an embodiment of our core values, empowering today’s youth to become leaders of tomorrow. Learning is a lifelong pursuit, and with the impact of COVID-19, disrupting the digital transformation of youth at the margins of the global digital economy, we are proud to continue on our journey to ensure they have the skills, resources, and networks to thrive.”
The Pan-Arab panel discussion titled ‘Inclusive Cyber Talents in the Arab World’, held at SAP House at EXPO 2020 Dubai. The panel delved into the opportunities and challenges of the digital revolution in the Arab World, featuring insights from Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of Global CSR, SAP; Akef Aqrabawi, President & CEO, INJAZ Al-Arab, Emad Khaja, CEO, INJAZ Qatar; Samar Dani, CEO, INJAZ Lebanon; Batoul Husseini, Director of Government Affairs and CSR Lead for MENA, SAP; Ghadeer Abu Shamat, Vice President Education – GEMS, UAE, Hugh Bosely, CEO and founder of RBK, Alexandra Clare, CEO and Co-Founder of Re:Coded, and Eman Al Khedri, Educational Specialist, Educational Operations, Directorate Region, Ministry of Education in Bahrain.
The panel touched on a range of topics surrounding the upskilling of today’s youth, including the positive impact of digital upskilling, redefining traditional curriculums, innovation in the classroom, as well as how the digital and social world of today is impacting the way children learn.
Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of Global Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP, said: “In today’s world, technology and innovation are undoubtedly essential criteria for development, yet according to the ITU 1.3 billion children aged 3 to 17 years old do not have access to the internet at home. At SAP, we believe in making the world run better, leaving no child behind, and we understand this as a fantastic opportunity for innovative solutions to be brought to life. We need to bring forth an entire generation of tech-aware, responsible adults. This is our commitment to empower the youth of today with digital literacy, a vision we share with our partners on Digital Skills for Today. Through our partnership with INJAZ Al-Arab, we introduced over 32,000 students to basic coding skills in 2020 alone, and as we look forward to witnessing even more impact in the future.”
Digital Skills for Today supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals #4, quality education, #5 gender equality, and #8; decent work and economic growth, the One Million Arab Coders initiative, and the Tent Partnership for Refugees.
To date, the initiative has introduced coding to over 87,132 young refugees and nationals across Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, KSA, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, and UAE. More than 900 graduates have found gainful employment in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
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For any press queries please contact:
Batoul Husseini
Batoul.husseini@sap.com
Dima Masri/ Chief Marketing Officer
dima@injaz-arabia.org
About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 355,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably.
About INJAZ Al-Arab
Operating in 13 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, INJAZ Al-Arab is the only non-profit organization in the region that harnesses the mentorship of business leaders to help inspire a culture of entrepreneurship and business innovation among Arab youth. Partnering with leading companies in the private sector, INJAZ Al-Arab equips Arab youth to drive the economies of the Arab World forward through training designed to inspire them to develop ambition, entrepreneurship, and professional skills.
Named one of the top 100 NGOs in the world by NGO Advisor for six consecutive years INJAZ Al-Arab has influenced the lives of over 4 million students since its inception in 2004. INJAZ Al-Arab is a member of Junior Achievement; the world’s largest and fastest-growing youth business organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.
© Press Release 2021
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