Essential News

San José, Costa Rica – July 30, 2021. A partnership forged between the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), the SAP and Bosch companies and Cenfotec will help train young people in the use of next-generation technological tools, enhancing their ability to find work in a labor market demanding high-performing human resources in this field.

The project, called “Skill-building for Shared Services”, was kicked off in June with CINDE’s sponsorship. The goal is to improve the training of 30 unemployed young people by building their technological and soft skills so that they are better positioned when seeking job options in a sector that has been exceptionally dynamic.

Costa Rica has more than 180 companies operating in the service sector in different market segments such as banking, e-commerce, food, logistics, messaging, electronics, and finance, among others.

The plan is aimed at helping unemployed young adults while at the same time strengthening the competitiveness of the companies operating in Costa Rica.

In addition to training in SAP, the beneficiaries of this project will be supplementing their education by using the Voxy and Coursera online learning platforms to improve their English and build the technical skills required for employment.

This first generation of students will complete their training on September 16 of this year. The idea is to replicate this initiative in the short term, and the coordination is currently underway for both this and the selection method for new participants.

Support Points
As CINDE Investment Climate Director, Vanessa Gibson explained, “The ultimate goal of this initiative is for the young people to be able to access information to build technical competencies that will give them an advantage when seeking job opportunities.”

Diana Osorio, SAP Director of Communications and CSR for the north region of Latin America, emphasized that the company has experience in staff training and education through SAP University. In Costa Rica, Cenfotec is an SAP NextGEN local chapter member of this academy.

“We wanted to participate in this plan by teaching new generations in the use of finance-oriented information technologies, which, as we well know, are vitally important for business management. In Costa Rica there are many companies with these kinds of services that could represent an extremely valuable market for attracting more investment in this field in the coming years, but our concern is to make sure the candidates for these positions are properly prepared,” the SAP executive asserted.

Meanwhile, Cenfotec Business Manager Paula Brenes noted that Costa Rica has become a key attraction point for bringing in technological multinationals such as, for example, in the manufacture of medical devices requiring many workers on the shop floor, but also in other areas such as customer service, technical support, and related fields.

“At Cenfotec, we are fully into this new partnership because we are aware of the high educational level of the country’s technical high schools. So what we need to do now to be more successful is redirect that advantage towards the demands made on us by the market for matching job offers with professional profiles, a strategy Cenfotec has followed since its inception 21 years ago,” she said.

Marco Sevilla of Bosch commented, “As global leaders in the technological innovation market, we understand that people are what are most important for setting milestones. We’ve witnessed how programs for developing critical thinking can drastically change the social, economic, and environmental climate of a city or country.

“That’s why we are proud of this joint collaboration with CINDE, SAP, and Cenfotec, where we have contributed knowhow, experience, and human capital for the purpose of giving young people tools and knowledge that can help with their education for a better future in the multinational services industry, which has become one of the biggest and most robust industries in Costa Rica.”

About SAP
SAP’s strategy is to help every business operate as a smart company. As market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best. 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 knowledge and promotes the cooperation that lets them to stay ahead of the competition.

We simplify technology for companies so that they can use our software they way they want, without interruptions. Our suite of applications and services enables our public and private sector customers in 25 industries to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, business partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improves people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com, our press room, http://news.sap.com/latinamerica, or follow us on Twitter @SAPNoticiasLAC.

About Cenfotec University
Cenfotec University - the only university specializing in digital technologies - is a private higher education institution whose main purpose is the curricular design and execution of programs for the training and updating of professionals, as well as the realization of research programs in the field of information and communication technologies. Its “learn by doing” methodology (practical and highly professionalizing education) emulates realistic work environments and enables students to tackle technology and their field of specialization starting in their first year of study. The university partners with SAP and its NextGEN program.