Kolorob Jobs Awarded Prize in MIT Solve Challenge
Congratulations to the Kolorob Jobs app for being awarded a Solver's prize in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2017 Solve Challenge. As a winning solution, the Kolorob team will join the Solve community and have the opportunity to build partnerships with cross-sector leaders who will help to pilot, scale and implement the project.
In addition to becoming a 'Solver' in the challenge, the Kolorob Jobs team won a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Indo-Pacific Development Prize (opens in a new window)of 70,000 AUD to support innovation development and scale up of the app over the next 12 months. They are also invited to attend the next Solve event in May 2018 to pitch for more funding from the remaining grant pool.
Kolorob Jobs is an open-source web and mobile app that enables young people in Bangladesh to transition out of hazardous, dangerous and exploitative jobs, onto career pathways in the formal sector.
Kolorob Jobs was one of 11 solutions receiving an award in the Youth, Skills, & the Workforce of the Future (opens in a new window)category which seeks to address the problem 'How can disadvantaged youth learn the skills they need to prepare them for the workforce of the future and thrive in the 21st century?'
David Sweeting, Innovation Lead, Urban Strategy at Save the Children Australia and Institute for Culture and Society Associate pitched the project at the Solve Challenge Finals on 17 September in New York City. The event brought together selected innovators to pitch their solutions to a panel of expert judges and a live audience on the four 2017 Global Challenges of Brain Health; Sustainable Urban Communities; Women and Technology; and Youth, Skills, & the Workforce of the Future. The awards were presented by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; The Honourable Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia; and Rafael Reif, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Challenge received a total of 953 submissions from 103 countries around the world. 20 finalists were selected in each stream.
Kolorob Jobs is an extension of the Kolorob app (opens in a new window)which provides low-income communities in the increasingly overcrowded slum areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh, access to information on essential services. ICS researchers Dr Liam Magee and Dr Teresa Swist have partnered with Save the Children (opens in a new window)since July 2015, contributing expertise in software development, user interface participatory design, evaluation methodology and research publication and dissemination.
Solve Challenge Finals: Afternoon Plenary & Youth, Skills, Workforce of the Future Pitch Session
(Kolorob Jobs pitch begins at 1:27:00)
Solve Challenge Finals: Closing Plenary
(Youth, Skills, & the Workforce of the Future awards begin at 51:47)
Posted: 25 September 2017.
