“Being a young parent is very hard”, Chelcie recounts. She was 20 when her daughter Eva was born, moving to Atlanta just one year later. Chelcie wanted to prioritize her little girl, but also needed to make a living as a single mother. She wanted her daughter to be proud of her. “I always wanted to be the example I wish I had”, she says. So, she moved to Atlanta, hoping for a better life.
Starting to think bigger
Chelcie soon started her own business as a performance coach. She still remembers the many highs and lows the challenge of being a single mother and entrepreneur all in one. “Having an income that’s not always reliable – it’s difficult. I’ve always enjoyed entrepreneurship, but it always comes with a certain cost of things.” She was in survival mode, as she says, and thinking bigger wasn’t in the cards for her as she tried to make ends meet. Until she was offered the chance to pivot into the tech industry.
With the help from Rejoice Jones from Vower, an organisation which aims to connect communities with non-traditional employers, and SAP’s digital skills initiative, Chelcie joined an SAP S/4HANA bootcamp. “I want to change the trajectory for my family, to show my daughter that women, especially that black women have the capacity and skills to work in these spaces and sectors”, she says, aware of the unshakably low figures. After all, with only 27% of all computing-related jobs held by women, and the number for people from ethnic minorities dropping even lower, accessing digital skills and securing a fulfilling, well-paid job in the tech industry often seems out of reach for most of the world’s population.
Digital skills initiative provides free learning and certification
“But Rejoice and SAP encouraged me to imagine and think bigger”, Chelcie explains. “I grew up in a low-income household. I was the first generation to go to college.” Knowing that you are just not exposed to what’s out there, you don’t always have the contacts and don’t always see people like you in those positions, she explains.
Designed to bridge the gap between providing easily accessible training and certifications for everyone considered underrepresented in the technology industry and supporting organizations with their workforce transformation and search for fresh talent, SAP’s digital skills initiative contributes to a more diverse and equitable job market, workforce, and society as a whole. “There are also so many barriers into these industries which is why the SAP free bootcamp and certification was so amazing for allowing me to take the next step”, Chelcie confirms.
To learn more about Chelcie’s story, watch the video above – happy ending guaranteed!
Start your own success story today
And if you want to follow in her footsteps, kick-start your own success story with SAP today. Benefit from tailored and self-paced learning opportunities that meet you when and where you learn best on SAP Learning site. Get certified to demonstrate your expertise and boost your career. We are looking forward to many more great success stories!
Are you looking to hire people like Chelcie? Reach out to the digital skills initiative for information on how to get in contact with her and other people like her who are entering the SAP ecosystem with a fresh cloud-first mindset. We are happy to connect any partner or customer with our candidates to provide a mutual growth opportunity for new talent and the organizations supporting our ecosystem.
