SAP Partners with JA Worldwide to Equip 85,000+ Youth for Future Careers

For many young people, entering the world of work may seem daunting, especially when faced with the rapidly evolving shift in traditional practices. This shift is spurred on by AI, the cloud, and remote and hybrid working setups, largely driven by some of the world’s most influential technology companies.

To that end, it’s not surprising that these companies are actively pursuing strategies to help individuals in their late teens and early twenties adapt and, most importantly, prepare for the multitude of challenges they will face. Recently, SAP and JA Worldwide, one of the largest youth services organizations, announced a new global partnership aimed at helping tens of thousands of young people succeed in the modern working environment.

Global Career Discovery Initiative

SAP and JA Worldwide are launching the Global Career Discovery Initiative, a dedicated learning program for youth aged 17 to 24 across over 30 countries. As well as a defined curriculum based on the overarching factors that affect the future of work, the initiative includes in-house mentoring and immersive experiences with SAP leaders.

In year one alone, the Global Career Discovery Initiative will impact over 85,000 students.

“We’re excited to bring our long-standing partnership with JA to a global level,” said Hemang Desai, Interim Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.

“Together, we can reach more young people with meaningful learning experiences that build confidence, digital fluency, and real-world readiness. This is about preparing the workforce of the future — equitably and at scale, through a partnership that focuses on measurable outcomes and global impact.”

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Industry Trends

SAP is not the first company in the Cloud Wars Top 10 to actively prepare its workforce for an unprecedented transition. We have discussed it in detail and from various angles:

Since the emergence of GenAI just a few years ago, the conversation has shifted from integrating AI into work practices to augmenting digital with physical labor. There is good reason to be concerned about how, if left unmanaged, the introduction of such fundamentally powerful technologies could negatively disrupt the emerging workforce. Here are a few statistics:

Workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium
Skills for AI-exposed jobs are changing 66% faster than for other jobs (PWC)
On average, workers can expect that 39% of their current skills will be transformed or become outdated between 2025 and 2030 (WEF)

Closing Thoughts

While there is still significant concern about the impact of AI, particularly GenAI, on the job market, many organizations are taking steps to address these issues. Although these efforts may not satisfy everyone, they represent an important step in tackling these challenges. For me, the most promising aspect of these initiatives is their variety.

While many companies are exploring free skills training focused on specific emerging technologies, others are taking a more holistic approach. For example, SAP is working with a well-established education provider and, crucially, integrating these methods into direct mentorship opportunities with SAP experts.

Moving forward, this variety of combined approaches could cover all bases, not just the re-skilling requirements but also building the foundations needed for the next generation to thrive in an AI-driven future.