Future of Work in India & Indonesia Challenge
SheWorks!: Train the trainers
One-line solution summary:
Bridge the economic gender gap by equipping women with digital skills to compete in the job market.
Pitch your solution.
The gender gap has widened with the pandemic. By 2030 for every 100 men living in poverty in South Asia, there could be 129 poor women. On the other hand, the digital economy could create more than 80 million jobs in India and Indonesia, many of which require functional digital skills (McKinsey), and the current level of digital literacy is low.
SheWorks! addresses this problem in four stages: Diagnosis of the level of digital literacy, training in digital skills according to the level, a Certified Talent Market to connect women with remote job opportunities, and training as trainers to share the knowledge acquired in their communities.
The fourth stage, Train the Trainers, makes this solution scalable and allows us to reach vulnerable communities. In the end, all participants become trainers and access a platform with content and tools to train other women in their communities.
Film your elevator pitch.
Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
Equip existing workers in India and Indonesia with country-appropriate and culturally-relevant digital literacy skills and vocational training opportunitiesIn what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Wilmington, DE, USAIs your solution working in India and/or Indonesia?
My solution is being deployed or has plans to deploy in both India and IndonesiaWhat specific problem are you solving in India and/or Indonesia?
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the pandemic wid the poverty gap between men and women in South Asia. He projects that by 2030, "for every 100 men between the ages of 25 and 34 living in poverty in South Asia, there will be 129 poor women."
On the other hand, the digital economy could create 60 to 65 million jobs in India by 2025 and four to 23 million jobs by 2030 in Indonesia, many of which require functional digital skills (McKinsey). In case of not adapting and not acquiring digital skills, people could be relegated from the world of work.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The target population for this program is women from low-income and needy communities in India and Indonesia who are currently seeking employment. Women in these communities lack access to transportation, affordable child care, and education to cope in the world of technological revolution.
Our solution performs a diagnosis of the level of digital literacy and then trains them in high-demand digital skills according to their needs and previous knowledge, this improves the completion of the training process and the incorporation of new skills in the trained women. In addition, the program’s final phase detects women leaders within each community and trains them as trainers.
In the "train the trainers" phase, we leave the knowledge installed in the communities and give them the tools to continue training more women in their community. By engaging and empowering community leaders, teaching is accomplished in a context of cultural understanding and respect.
We offer them a role model to emulate. (If you can't see it, you can't) and we provide scalability over time.
How does the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge?
Historically, women were underrepresented in the workforce and the pandemic exacerbated this.
In addition, with the technological revolution, people who do not improve their digital skills may be left out of the labor market. In India and Indonesia, despite high internet consumption, digital literacy is low.
In response to this problem, we train women in high-demand digital skills, improving their professional profile and making them employable. We also invite them to be part of our certified talent market that gives them the opportunity to connect them with companies and opportunities around the world.
Companies can access this certified talent market to find and hire the talent they need, and being a market for professional women, these companies contribute to reducing the gender gap.
What is your solution’s stage of development?
ScaleWho is the Team Lead for your solution?
Carla Cassanello, VP
Which of the following categories best describes your solution?
A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successfulWhat makes your solution innovative?
Our approach offers a holistic solution that combines knowledge diagnosis, tailored training, connections to job opportunities and ends with a "train the trainers" stage that allows you to scale and generate organic impact over time in communities.
We are a solution that contributes to reducing the gap in gender skills, employment, and discrimination.
Describe the core technology that powers your solution.
SheWorks! Academy uses an existing user-centric learning software, where women can develop skills they do not have, in a cost-effective way and in a short time and from anywhere in the world.
Once the courses are completed, we test and evaluate the knowledge. If they pass the exams, they receive a digital badge to share with any employer or add to their resume.
Please select all the technologies currently used in your solution:
What is your theory of change?
Women who complete the training program will gain skills for global employment in highly competitive fields, resulting in the potential to secure higher-paying jobs that are remote and flexible. The latest Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report found that learning new skills or earning a certification can raise upwards of $12,000 a year.
This plan is designed within the framework of the accelerated adoption of digital transformation processes that have impacted the economy and society, for the development of new digital skills that will allow us to improve employability rates, which will result in a reduction of gaps and,
Consequently, economic reactivation is required to return to the pre-pandemic development indices.
In addition, today, female participation is required in the world of ICT, especially because it is necessary to complete the profiles for the development of the industry and reduce the risk of affecting their future employment possibilities.
In the digital economy, women have new opportunities, since the jobs they can access have characteristics that make them compatible with other historical responsibilities they have had, such as caring for children or third parties, that is why we must see this process of digital transformation as an opportunity to provide women with digital tools and skills that allow them to enter or rejoin the labor market, either on their own or by third parties.
Digital transformation is not an option but is a reality, and therefore it is our responsibility to provide opportunities and access to face these new challenges.
Select the key characteristics of your target population.
In which countries do you currently operate?
In which countries will you be operating within the next year?
What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?
This program was born last year in the United States with a pilot in Rhode Island in partnership with Facebook and then spread to Latin America, directly impacting + 19k women.
This year, we are looking to replicate the program in India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Our model has three levels of impact:
1. The direct impact of our program is that we expect to train + 50k women in digital skills and next year, and in five years, we will be serving +500,000 women.
2. In turn, the new formators of the "formation of formators" can teach in their communities, thus reaching + 2M women in the coming years.
3. The indirect impact derived from improved employability also enhances the family’s quality of life and the environment. Global Knowledge's latest IT Skills and Salaries Report found that learning new skills or earning a certification can increase to more than $ 12,000 a year.
How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?
We are measuring progress with two tools: a training platform monitoring tool and a second tool that measures the incorporation of new knowledge. In addition to these two points, we always apply satisfaction surveys to users, and in each development, our courses have a support team that manages the students. We incorporate a professional with a Ph.D. in scientific research into the team to obtain information free of biases and draw conclusions with scientific criteria that help us measure the actual impact.
What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?
The risks that we see about those indicated could be the complexity of entering underrepresented and isolated communities and achieving cultural adaptation.
Another significant barrier is the access to technology (internet and computers) that the communities have to access the jobs of the future.
And finally, the need to develop user-centric diagnostic and learning software.
How do you plan to overcome these barriers?
To overcome the cultural barrier, we implemented the "Train the trainers" program, which trains leaders from each community to be the leaders and knowledge transmission.
To achieve technological accessibility in the communities, we partner with governments and associations to provide funds or tools so that they can have access to the internet and computers.
To develop our own software, we are looking for funds to hire experienced experts who can develop it and thus reach more women reducing the cost of technology per trainee that we currently have when using third-party technology.
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
How many people work on your solution team?
At SheWorks! there are 26 workers.
How long have you been working on your solution?
2 years
How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?
SheWorks! was born to generate access to jobs that dignify and empower women. Our team is made up of 92% of women, who are recognized for the impact of their actions. The founder, Silvina Moschini, is the first Latin American woman to take a company to the status of “Unicorn.”
Our team comprises professionals with +20 years of experience in the digital ecosystem, working with communities and developing online learning programs.
Our team is also part of programs based in Community building: Startup Weekend, Google Developers Groups, Women Tech makers, among others. Community building + training platforms have been proven to work over the years and have long-term results.
What is your approach to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership team?
Since the founding of SheWorks!, we have worked to decrease the gap in skills, genre, and unemployment through women’s empowerment by creating a digital ecosystem focused on specializing remote talent.
We have a diverse and multicultural team with highly experienced people that allows us the ideal combination to manage this project. Part of the background of our team is made up of a VP in HR companies, experts in education, with experience in developing projects with governments and multilateral organizations and NGOs, with technical expertise in remote talent, IT, marketing, and communication.
What organizations do you currently partner with, if any? How are you working with them?
Training partners: We partner with Facebook and Google to conduct high-demand digital skills training for women.
Community partners: we partner with organizations that have significant reach in vulnerable communities and with social impact objectives to improve women’s lives. Some with which we worked in 2021 are "EY Women Fast Forward,” IDB, among others.
What is your operational model?
We teach digital skills that are culturally adapted to the communities we work with, and we also carry out a preliminary diagnosis to offer tailored solutions.
Our model is scalable over time thanks to "train the trainers," where we train community leaders as facilitators so they can continue to share their knowledge with their communities.
Who is the primary stakeholder you will be targeting to execute and scale your solution?
GovernmentWhy are you applying to the Future of Work in India and Indonesia Challenge?
We seek to reach more women to empower them in the new world of work.
These funds would help us develop a user-centric platform for trainers to create a community and access culturally adapted content.
In addition to automating the diagnostic tool for prior knowledge to promote digital literacy.
In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
Please explain in more detail here.
We are looking for partners that allow us to reach vulnerable communities while we adapt culturally to each one.
We are looking for training partners to facilitate high-demand technical courses with globally recognized certifications.
And also, we are looking for technology partners that allow us to develop multiplatform online learning software based on open data.
Solution Team
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FC
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Carla Cassanello VP of SheWorks! Academy, SheWorks!
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Our Solution
SheWorks!: Train the trainers