SAP and UNICEF partner to give young people job skills training
New partnership in support of Generation Unlimited will co-create solutions for quality education and job skills for young people in underserved communities
NEW YORK (September 25, 2019) – SAP and UNICEF today announced a new global partnership to provide quality education, life skills and job skills training to young people in disadvantaged communities, preparing them for decent work and active citizenship.
Announced at an event taking place at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the three-year partnership will bring together businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations to build sustainable education models. The partnership will focus on workforce inclusion initiatives to help young people thrive, and provide organizations with a prepared workforce.
The partnership will look to develop a standardized national curriculum, workforce readiness programs, and in-depth research to better inform and connect the private sector with future talent.
More than 1 in 5 young people today are neither in employment, education or training. Many more are not learning the skills they need to seek decent employment, as today’s rapidly changing economy demands increasingly specialized skills.
“For young people, the path to a successful future goes through quality education that equips them – and empowers them – with the skills they need to thrive in today’s workforce,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Young people are some of the world’s best creatives, enthusiasts and thinkers. We are excited to work with SAP to harness young people’s energy and ideas, and help them contribute to their economies and societies.”
By 2030, companies and communities throughout the world need to be ready to sustainably integrate 2 billion young people seeking employment into the workforce.
The collaboration will help reach young people across Africa, Asia and Europe, with initial efforts focused on India, Turkey and Viet Nam. It forms part of Generation Unlimited, the global partnership working to prepare young people to become engaged and productive citizens. Launched one year ago, Generation Unlimited convenes multisector public and private investment in education and employment of youth, while engaging young people in these efforts.
“People are anxious about the opportunity gap in this new economy,” said SAP CEO Bill McDermott. “Businesses need to take meaningful steps to upskill the current and future workforce, regardless of their age or where they live in the world. Together with UNICEF, SAP will focus on starting in the classroom where the foundation for every career is built. We will increase collaboration with the public sector and focus on the best possible curriculum to prepare future workers. This is another example where doing what’s right and doing what’s right for business are in perfect harmony.”
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Notes to editors
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
About Generation Unlimited
Generation Unlimited is global partnership working to prepare young people to become productive and engaged citizens. It connects secondary-age education and training to employment and entrepreneurship, empowering every young person to thrive in the world of work.
About SAP
As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 437,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improves people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information, contact
Ann Reinking Whitener, UNICEF USA, 212 922 2623, areinking@unicefusa.org