Newsbyte: SAP Partners with Oakland Unified School District to Open STEM Academy to Equip High School Students for Future Careers in Technology

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Sep 15, 2016, 09:00 ET

WALLDORF, Germany, Sept. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP NEWSBYTE — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced the opening of Skyline High School's Computer Science & Technology Academy in Oakland, Calif. This innovative six-year early college high school program will provide young adults with valuable skills and guidance to get a head-start in their pursuit of careers in technology.

"The technology industry will add hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next decade,^*" said Jennifer Morgan, president, SAP North America. "We must ensure the next generation is educated and ready to assume the mantle of leadership and innovation in the digital economy. Public-private partnerships and investments in education are key to equipping today's students with the skills they need for tomorrow and ensuring the United States remains at the center of technological innovation for years to come."

The program was developed in partnership with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), Berkeley City College (BCC) and the Career Ladders Project. Students who participate in the program will acquire technical skills and professional certifications, and have access to SAP employee mentors and workplace learning opportunities within SAP. In addition to earning a high school diploma, all participating students will earn a technology-focused associate degree from BCC free of charge, providing these students with a substantial advantage in the highly competitive technology industry.

"Public-private partnerships, like that of SAP and OUSD, are vital to fostering a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] pipeline of career-ready talent that will keep California competitive for years to come," said California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.

SAP's partnership with OUSD is an active step in preparing today's young leaders for technology-focused careers. It builds off the success of other SAP-funded six-year early college high schools such as BTECH in Queens, New York; C-Town Tech in Boston, Massachusetts; and Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"Living in the Bay Area, our students know well the opportunity that lies ahead of them with advanced skills in technology," said OUSD superintendent Antwan Wilson. "The opening of the Computer Science & Technology Academy at Skyline High School creates a critical pathway for our students to reach that opportunity. After graduating from the Academy, Oakland students will go far to help fill the skills gap. We thank SAP for working to ensure that in OUSD, Every Student Thrives."

SAP and OUSD are hosting a celebration event at Skyline High School on Friday, September 16, with the inaugural class of 100 students and 200 current academy students. Oakland A's legend Reggie Jackson, a passionate advocate for STEM education in local communities, California Associate Attorney General Venus Johnson, and Oakland Chief of Education David Silver will be joining the expected crowd of 400 students, family members, educators, and SAP employees.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

^*U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Statistics, "Occupation Outlook Handbook," December 2015.

Media Contacts:
Kellie Drenner, +1 (408) 612-9348, [email protected], PT
Jackie Montesinos Suarez, +1 (786) 325-0568, [email protected], ET

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SOURCE SAP SE