Singapore – With Asia Pacific’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) services market forecast to grow, SIM University (UniSIM) has partnered SAP to help supply demand for SAP professionals in the industry.

Singapore is estimated to have around 4,000 SAP consultants certified locally at present. By 2010, the expected demand is said to be 150% of that figure.

Speaking at the opening of the UniSIM-SAP eAcademy, Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Provost of UniSIM, says the e-based SAP Global Certification Programme is a viable solution that can meet the demand for specialist skills in ERP. The first in Singapore to offer the certification programme via e-learning, UniSIM hopes it will offer greater flexibility and accessibility to its students and at a lower cost compared to a conventional classroom-based programme.

As a university dedicated to adult learners and working professionals, Tsui believes the ERP application will increase the value of its students as well as their companies. He says, "They can be attending classes today and be going to work the next and be able to put the knowledge they have learned from the product to use."

The programme has received a good response in terms of student sign-ups since its commencement at the start of the month. The university expects a high take-up rate and estimates an enrollment of 50 to 60 students for its first semester.

Soon to become a fairly substantial part of the curriculum for IT and business programmes offered by the school, the UniSIM-SAP certification programme currently offers six graded courses, each comprising 200 to 250 e-hours of contact time spread over four months. It will also be open for enrollment to members of the public.