Now, more than ever, companies are creating more buzz around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Employees are realizing that they want more from their company than just a paycheck. They want to know they can value the same things as the company they work for.
In a survey conducted by Net Impact, 53% of workers said that “a job where I can make an impact” was important to their happiness, and 72% of students about to enter the workforce agreed. Some would even take a pay cut to achieve that goal. - Jeanne Meister, Contributor Forbes
It is very common for employees at SAP to hear Corporate Social Responsibility and immediately think Month of Service. Although this is our largest initiative of the year, CSR is made up of much more than just volunteering in October. We also partner with 53 non-profits throughout the US whose areas of focus are around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education and Youth Entrepreneurship. Working with this select group of partners allows CSR to tell the SAP story through a personal angle.
The number of 18-24 year olds who are not in school, not employed full-time, and without a postsecondary degree is over 5.2 million in the country. This statistic is staggering, and SAP wants to help bridge the gap. Leveraging our employees skills to help provide these disconnected students with the tools they need to seek successful career opportunities is one way we can help.
Recently we hosted a career day with one of our partners. The students we worked with are part of the ITWorks program which is a free, immersive IT training for vulnerable young adults. Once they complete the training, they will earn a professional certification in IT and hope to land an internship opportunity inside a leading corporation or nonprofit. Here is a quote from one of the ITWorks students: “Where I’m from, jail and death before age 18 are the two major options, but I want different.”
SAP gave these 15 students the opportunity to visit our beautiful NSQ campus and see for themselves that it is possible to work for a great company like SAP. The day consisted of several tours through our Data Center and Mission Control center, as well as real life examples of how we use our technology. They even had the chance to experience a Tele-presence meeting where they met “face to face” with our head of IT in Brazil. The students left here with a ton of knowledge, but more importantly the drive to make their dreams a reality.
This is just one of the ways we help to improve people’s lives and humanize the SAP story.
