SAP Mena has called for public-private partnerships centering on policy overhauls, a national awareness campaign and a cutting-edge ICT platform to help combat the Mena region’s looming sustainable jobs crisis.

SAP Mena is currently undertaking an extensive feasibility study on how an unprecedented, region-specific ICT platform could improve leadership decisions related to job creation by aggregating, processing and presenting powerful, big picture-yielding datasets.

Among other things, this could incorporate established solutions such as e-recruitment, enterprise learning, learning management systems, citizen relationship management, as well as social network tools and new media, a statement said.

Selim J Eddé, head of Government Relations, SAP Mena, explained that the need for this kind of three-pronged approach is rooted in a strong belief that the journey from government dependency to private sector empowerment is largely reliant on small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) that strengthen communities and have the flexibility to innovate to sate unmet needs and market demands.

“While there are legitimate concerns about job creation in the Mena region, its governments certainly have the resource and, to a varying degree, an increasing sense of urgency to transform challenge into opportunity,” said Eddé.

“More importantly, they also have a large and passionate population of hugely IT-literate youth capable of shaping a new and innovative future. Everywhere you look, Mena is growing younger and more IT-empowered. ”

“Moving forward, governments need to stimulate the development of existing SMEs, beget new companies through better financial solutions, provide greater access to markets, and facilitate targeted mentoring of youth and entrepreneurs,” Eddé added.

“ICT can be transformational to the sustainable jobs challenge, but only if used differently and coupled with empowered leadership.” – TradeArabia News Service