Toward the end of his military career, Stanley Osinski was stationed in Fort Irwin, California, where he worked behind a desk as a duty officer, reporting to the commanding officer. Like so many other military personnel, Osinski became familiar with how to use SAP systems as he completed maintenance tasks.
As he considered his impending retirement from the military and the corresponding transition to a civilian role, Osinski learned from one of his fellow service members about SAP for Veterans, a program dedicated to providing U.S. military veterans with workforce fundamentals and free certification in SAP products.
Interested in the opportunity and the doors he believed it could open, Osinski applied along with his colleague, transferring to Fort Bliss, Texas, and jumping in headfirst. Through the program, he received his SAP Certified Associated Business Process Integration with SAP S/4HANA 2020 certification. Upon graduation, Osinski leveraged his military experiences and the expertise he gained from SAP for Veterans to begin a new career as a Borderland Maintenance Manager at Veolia North America.
For nearly a decade, SAP Veterans to Work has helped veterans like Osinski to transition their military and SAP experiences into civilian IT careers. A collaboration between St. Michael’s Learning Academy (SMLA) and SAP, the program provides its students with 320 hours of curriculum and hands-on learning, or the equivalent of about an 18-month education. The program fits nicely with SMLA’s focus. The private post-secondary and vocational school aims at helping students retool their experiences for new careers and re-entry into the workforce. Drawing from the SAP University Alliance curriculum, certifications donated by SAP, and expert training professionals, SAP Veterans to Work equips its students with the tools, experience, and expertise critical for IT professionals.
According to Christine Aboud, owner and president of SMLA, SAP Veterans to Work is an important way that both institutions can actively support military personnel and thank them for their service.
“SAP and SMLA both recognize the enormous contributions that America’s finest have made to our nation,” Aboud said. “Our goal is to help veterans make their way back into civilian life with a gainful career.”
SAP Veterans to Work traces its origins back to 2014 when the Department of Defense sought public-private partnerships with companies aimed at transitioning active-duty service members into civilian careers. The subsequently formed SkillBridge program connected military personnel with professional career opportunities. SMLA was a test pilot for SkillBridge and, in the decade since it was founded, has, prepared approximately 900 veterans for careers in the SAP ecosystem.
"SAP salutes the courage and dedication of America's military personnel. Our Veterans to Work program is our way of giving back, aiding our heroes in seamlessly transitioning back to civilian roles," said Michael May, Managing Director for the South Market Unit and Executive Sponsor for the SAP Veterans to Work Program.
A New Kind of Training
SAP Veterans to Work meets its students where they are. A hybrid learning opportunity, the program takes place across 12 weeks and typically attracts active service members. Each class, comprised of 18 to 25 students, must complete a rigorous qualification and screening process before gaining admission. Aboud estimates that her team typically interviews between 50 to 80 veterans for each class, determining whether they have the appropriate qualifications, prerequisite experience, and career ambitions to get value out of the program.
From there, students begin the course, which is separated into three distinct pillars of learning.
First, students receive a grounding in SAP and IT theory. In the morning, they are taught by instructors—often SMLA alums—who work in academia or with SAP University Alliances.
In the afternoon, students get trained on SAP case studies and gain hands-on experience with systems such as SAP S/4HANA. Both the military and the Department of Defense use SAP products in various capacities, including procurement and asset maintenance, and so many students have pre-existing experience using SAPs. Afternoon sessions then focus on demonstrating how SAP solutions can be best leveraged in specific business contexts.
The third pillar of SAP Veterans to Work involves helping students build their resumes and prepare for job interviews. Aboud noted that, while the program’s students mostly have extensive IT backgrounds, they sometimes need assistance applying IT skills to the world of business. Every Friday, students can receive free professional assistance while applying for jobs, participate in mock interview sessions, hear from VIP guests, learn to leverage career tools, and gain insights on emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence).
“We’re not just providing key training for critical roles in SAP,” Aboud said. “We also translate the skills and training veterans have received in the military, to ensure they understand how to defend that experience in interviews. We are building off their qualifications to help them successfully move into jobs within corporate America.”
Proven Results
SMLA has an exemplary track record, including a 92% certification pass rate and an 85% student placement rate. Part of this success, Aboud believes, is owed to the sense of community and camaraderie the program instills in students.
Phillip Rhodes has been working with SAP ERP platforms since 2016. After a seven-year military career that saw him stationed in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and all over Europe, Rhodes decided to leverage his SAP experience and apply for the SAP Veterans to Work program. Graduating last year after getting SAP-certified in business process integration with SAP S/4HANA, Rhodes has since remained at SMLA as an SAP S/4HANA Instructor.
“It’s one of the most rigorous educational programs I ever heard of, known, and experienced,” he recently told ASUG.
Rhodes noted that while many in the military use SAP products and ERP platforms regularly, transitioning from military roles into professional IT positions isn’t always easy.
“The words, the verbiage, and the amount of information coming at you is a challenging aspect,” he said.
The SAP Veterans to Work program, while intensive, helped Rhodes pair his experience with the knowledge and expertise necessary to begin a new career as an IT professional.
Employer Benefits
Of course, the SAP Veterans to Work program does not solely benefit its graduates. Military veterans possess a particular set of skills that’s often extremely desirable to companies looking for potential additions to their IT organizations.
“Veterans adapt very well to change,” Aboud said. “Most of them have experience in an ever-changing environment and they excel at undergoing constant development and training.”
In addition, graduates of SAP Veterans to Work complete a rigorous screening process before being admitted, which ensures organizations that recruit its graduates receive a high return on their investment. SMLA’s partnerships with both SAP and the SAP University Alliances mean that its students have access to up-to-date curriculum and active, experienced instructors. One of the most successful SAP training programs, SMLA has guided 88% of its students to successfully obtain their SAP ERP Certified Associate TS410 HANA exam – compared to the 65% national average.
“This is such a unique program,” Aboud said. “Starting an IT career is difficult for anybody. With SAP Veterans to Work, we supplement our students’ skills and experiences so they can successfully transition into a career in the SAP ecosystem. It’s a great way to help veterans jumpstart a new chapter—and bring value to an organization.”
Jim Lichtenwalter and Erin Crain contributed to this article.