YouthForce : Task Partners @ Your Doorstep
WINNER: Honorable Mention
youthforce is a local employment network for low-skilled unemployed youths in an economically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Using ICT as an enabler, the initiative aims to empower unemployed youths to gain short to long-term employment opportunities with prospective local employers (residents). Prospective employers (local residents) looking for workers intended for simple to moderate tasks such as domestic helpers, general helpers, grass cutters, farm workers, office boys, despatch etc may use the online database to employ suitable youths for a designated time frame.
youthforce provides a unique platform for low-skilled unemployed youths to gain an income by working part-time and at the same time provide employers (local residents) with a ready pool of workers to carry out a specific task. The platform shall offer a win-win situation for both parties - unemployed youths gaining economic benefits while employers could obtain workers at a very reasonable cost to get their immediate task done.
The target community for the project comprises about 300 low-skilled unemployed youths (more than 80% are school drop outs) in three neighbourhood in Chemor (pop. 33,000), Perak. The target areas are Tanah Hitam New Village (a Chinese settlement), Kampung Che Zainal (Malay settlement) and Kampung Veerasamy (Indian squatter settlement). All three areas are located side-by-side and offer an unique opportunity to harness the power of ICT for the benefit of society at large.
Unemployment among youths is a serious and persistent problem ; more than 60% of the total youths in the target area are currently unemployed due to low education level, lack of marketable skills and involvement in negative activities such as drug abuse, gangsterism, loafing and juvenile delinquencies.
youthforce shall offer a workable solution to alleviate low-skilled unemployed youths via technological means by giving online access to employment opportunities within a local neighbourhood context. It also provides unemployed youths with the necessary training in order to gain economic advancement.
5 comments
Anthony Andrew • over 13 years ago
It sounds like the project promises to deliver better than the local "jabatan buruh". Salam 1M in delivering the promise. Thumbs up.
Fernando Andrade • about 13 years ago
useful for society in a era where no one has time for house working. Also seems easy to implement.
chunnn hoee • about 13 years ago
may i suggest that the app, includes safety feature like ranking system for both the potential employer and employee. so if the employer sucks, dangerous or done pay. this rank drops and not one wants to work for him and vise versa. And is good to have a profile like app, so that the employee/employer and update and let people read about their biodata.
Something like couchserving.org does, Without these safety feature, this application/ social interaction will fail and fail miserably .
This app can potential be a business application app, and might even start charging employers for posting. if done right.
and if done right, someone should patent the @#$% idea.
Umi Hatir • about 13 years ago
I agree on the 'safety feature' suggestion... not just about the pay, but about the actual safety of the working minors.
I'd like to have this app when it gets developed... :)
Good luck!
Andrew Wong • about 13 years ago
This is an excellent program. Have an opportunity to become a sustainable social business. look me up, if you are keen to make this in a social business.