Co-creating AI-powered, gamified job simulators with companies so learners explore, learn, and prove skills beyond a CV
Team Leader
Tania Rosas
The Problem: Globally, over 250 million youth are not in education, employment, or training. Especially in underrepresented communities, many lack access to practical, job-aligned learning, and even when they have the talent, they can’t prove it. Traditional hiring favors credentials over capability. O-Lab makes skill-building and hiring more inclusive and competency-based.
The Solution: O-Lab creates skill-based learning through gamification, like educational computer games designed for real-world jobs, delivered through AI-powered, immersive, and tailored simulations called “Labs.” Each Lab replicates a specific job role, allowing learners to explore careers, build practical skills, and demonstrate their abilities in safe, engaging, and accessible environments. The platform works on web and mobile, supports low-cost devices, functions offline, and is available in multiple languages, including Indigenous languages in some communities. At the same time, O-Lab helps companies implement inclusive, competency-based evaluation and training practices. Employers can co-create Labs aligned with real job tasks, enabling them to onboard, upskill, or assess candidates based on performance and potential, not just credentials. By making learning hands-on and hiring more equitably, O-Lab bridges the education-to-employment gap, unlocking opportunities for underrepresented youth who are often excluded from traditional systems.
Stats:
30,000 users served through the personalized learning platform
What is the name of your organization?
Fundación El Origen
What is the name of your solution?
From Classrooms to Careers
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Is an AI-powered vocational training program designed to bridge the education-to-employment gap for underrepresented youth.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Bogotá, Colombia
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Colombia
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Young people from underrepresented communities face significant disadvantages in recruitment processes, with a 30% higher likelihood of being rejected at the initial stages due to gaps in proven experience, language skills, and formal education. These barriers prevent many from demonstrating their true potential in a practical way.
What is your solution?
This project seeks to bridge the education-employability gap of underrepresented youth with practical, job-ready skills through AI-powered gamified learning experiences (labs). At the same time, the project helps companies optimize competency-based recruitment practices, making them fairer and more inclusive.
How? Through our AI-powered platform, companies can generate interactive “labs” – realistic simulations specifically designed according to the requirements of each job position – to assess candidates from underrepresented communities based on their competencies, rather than being limited to traditional credentials. O-Lab will generate customized scenarios and job-specific tasks, allowing companies to observe how candidates perform in practical and relevant contexts.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
O-Lab serves underrepresented youth (15-25 years old) from indigenous, migrant, and low-income communities in Latin America. Most live on $3.20/day (~$96/month), with limited access to quality education and job opportunities.
• 600 youth will benefit from the program.
• At least 100 participants will secure jobs, increasing their income by $5,000/year (~$416/month)—a 4-5x increase.
By bridging education and employment gaps, O-Lab helps youth move from $96/month to over $500/month, enabling them to build sustainable careers and break the cycle of poverty.
