Are you considering a career switch to SAP or maybe just heard the words "SAP YPP" and got curious to know more ?...
In this article, I will provide a detailed overview of SAP's young professional program(SAP YPP) and highlight a few things you need to know about the program.
If you stick around till the end, I'll throw in a bonus and share my personal experience as an alumnus of this initiative.
Let's get started.
1. The SAP Digital Skills Center
Before discussing the SAP YPP initiative and its importance within the SAP Ecosystem, it’s important to know about its parent institute, The SAP Digital Skills Center.
The SAP Digital Skills Center (formerly known as SAP training and development institute) was an initiative launched by SAP in 2012. It was founded with the core goal of empowering young graduates by bridging the digital skills gap across the globe.
The Digital Skills Center offers top-notch training opportunities and programs such as; the SAP Young Professionals Program(YPP), SAP Digital Skills Training Program, and the newly introduced Dual Study program.
2. What is SAP YPP?
To put this simply, the SAP Young Professional Program is an initiative by SAP Digital Skills Center created to tackle youth unemployment by bridging the digital gap in today's workforce.
The YPP program was designed to:
Sieve top graduates, and equip them with soft and technical skills. The YPP program also grants participants accredited SAP certifications and ultimately, a sense of belonging within the SAP Community.
Set a stage for career growth within the SAP Ecosystem as potential SAP consultants.
Balance the demand for SAP consultants in the SAP Ecosystem.
3. Partners, Stakeholders & Coverage Of The SAP YPP
Every year, SAP partners with the likes of IBM, Deloitte, PWC, and many others in a bid to deliver the YPP program across various continents.
It is currently hosted in the following countries:
- Nigeria
- Lebanon
- Ghana
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Spain
- Egypt
- Turkey
- UAE
Feel free to check out SAP careers or SAP Digital Skills homepage for the up-to-date list of SAP YPP offerings.
Now we have the fundamental knowledge of the SAP YPP initiative, let's talk about what it takes to qualify for the program...
4. What are the SAP YPP Requirements?
For this section, I took a live excerpt from a YPP job posting I saw on the SAP careers page.
WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM A CANDIDATE:
Candidates must have the legal right to work in the country;
Candidates must be currently unemployed or employed in a part-time/non-permanent role not related to career aspirations;
Candidates must be educated to at least Bachelor's level in a field related to Business Administration / Management Information Systems / Engineering
Candidates will preferably have graduated within the last 3 years with a GPA in the top quartile – proof of this may be requested;
Candidates must have a keen interest in starting an SAP-related career involving travel;
Candidates should be fluent in English, both written and spoken;
Due to the spread of Coronavirus, this training will take place online in a virtual live classroom format. Please ensure you have strong enough internet at home to be able to participate in this program.
If you check all these boxes, then you can go ahead and apply!
Except... I haven't told you how to do that yet
5. How to Apply For The SAP Young Professionals Program
To apply, simply visit SAP careers, search for YPP and follow the application instructions.
PS: The YPP program usually runs between January to May every year, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for updates in your region. You can also subscribe to SAP career's mailing list to stay up-to-date with YPP job postings.
MY SAP YPP EXPERIENCE
Here I am, sometime in 2019, a fresh unemployed graduate sitting at his desk, keeping fingers crossed that I would get a callback from any of the jobs I applied for, including the SAP YPP program that once popped up on my feed.
YPP Interview Step 1:
A couple of months later, I got a call. It was a phone interview. I believe it was to rate my fluency in English and oral communication, I then received an email to do a written test a few days later.
YPP Interview Step 2:
Subsequently, I received an online interview invite to assess my suitability for the program. The interview was set up in such a way as to test my competencies, behavior, and attitude against the profile of an SAP Consultant.
YPP Offer:
Got the offer, accepted it, and was sent the training schedule.
YPP Program Structure and Duration:
The program was divided into two parts, SAP Certifications, and the Soft-skills/ Competencies workshops. The program ran for 3 consecutive months.
MY YPP Experience:
SAP, a business technology provider specializes in providing sap technology, and in my opinion, to understand the technology, I needed to know the why behind it...
So I'd ask myself, why is sap using this technology, framework, and(or) functional module to solve this business problem?
As a computer engineer and someone with a deep IT background, this was pretty challenging to wrap my head around.
Soon enough, I had the opportunity to meet with my colleagues who were from different professional backgrounds, some with a fair amount of work experience already, and we bonded.
Slowly, by studying the material and leaning on the strength of my peers, I was able to get a fair grasp of business concepts and functional processes covered throughout the program.
During the soft-skills training section, we had lessons on CV presentation, design thinking, interview preparation tips, mindfulness, and much more.
With perseverance, willingness to learn, and support from my peers, I successfully concluded the YPP training and took the two professional certification exams.
I earned the title, “SAP Associate Consultant” and was introduced to the SAP Alumni.
And there you have it... my story of how I became a part of SAP's Ecosystem.
Life After YPP:
Right after graduation, The SAP YPP team introduced us to SAP customers and partners based in our respective regions.
With their support, each candidate in my cohort had the privilege of interviewing for a position with potential employers, and well over seventy percent of my peers landed jobs as SAP consultants, including me.
As an intending tech bro, I was always partial to the technical modules so I was praying to get interviewed for a role I liked.
After about 3 interviews for roles in the functional space, I got an interview for a technical role.
Final Thoughts
THE SAP YPP program was a “Zero to Hero” experience for me, and I would recommend it to any graduate looking to develop professional, corporate real-world skills. Whether or not your end goal is SAP Consulting, the SAP YPP program has training that sets you apart and empowers you with skills to function as a certified professional.
What’s more, it's free, so why not? 😉