Delivering innovation, productivity and happiness Anonymous Management Services; Summer 2014; 58,2; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 13 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
e l o p m e n t S e c t o r Report Digital opportunities:
and grew out of the youth employment and entrepreneurship initiative between ITU and Telecentre. org Foundation.
The partnership seeks to advance youth employability, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion by addressing challenges surrounding integrating young people into the employment market, highlighting innovative approaches and uses of ICTS,
Please consider the environment before printing this report. ITU 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment iii Lead authors: Chris Coward is the cofounder, Principal Research Scientist,
and Director of the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of washington Information School.
Chris specializes in designing research programs that improve policy and practice in the area of information and communication technologies (ICTS) and international development.
Chris holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of arts in International Studies, both from the University of washington.
including education, information and communication technologies, knowledge sharing, health, and natural resource management. Silvia spent 14 years at Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) as a research project manager.
Heidi has a Master of arts in Communication, Culture, and Technology from Georgetown University. Nathalia Rodriguez Vega is an economic analyst with experience performing macroeconomic
and market analysis. She worked for Citigroup analysing economic trends and providing investment recommendations on Latin america's financial assets.
she worked as a research assistant employing large-scale data analysis tools to analyse the impact of foreign-born workers in the US economy.
Nathalia holds a Master of science In public Policy and Management and a Bachelor of arts in Economics. The authors wish to thank Susan Schorr, Head, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Special Initiatives Division, for her advice, direction and contributions during the preparation of the report.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment iv Foreword Today's youth face enormous challenges finding a job
That's why it's imperative that we take concrete steps to ensure youth have meaningful work opportunities
This report aims to cast a spotlight on an area that offers promising solutions-digital jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.
from the most basic to very advanced, offering opportunities for people of varying abilities. The information technology revolution is also fuelling new business creation.
Recognizing that entrepreneurship can be a viable career option, many governments are enacting policies aimed at encouraging more graduates to become job creators, not job seekers.
and I am delighted that this report was developed in response to the Youth employment and Entrepreneurship initiative between ITU and Telecentre. org Foundation.
Youth have advantages in this new environment which provides access to a myriad of learning systems,
job matching services, entrepreneurship courses, contests, and even start-up funding. The private sector is behind many of these resources, with government and nonprofit organizations playing important roles as well.
I am pleased that BDT has made these resources available to youth worldwide in our new Youth employment and Entrepreneurship Resources Database at www. itu. int/ITU-D/youth.
What will be required to connect more youth to this new world of opportunities? Part of the answer lies in building awareness and an appreciation of the forces and innovations that are constantly shaping
and reshaping pathways for employment and entrepreneurship. It is a dynamic environment where governments and other stakeholders need to be more adept at developing
and launching initiatives in real time. This is a challenging task, yet it is something that can, and must, be done.
Successes can be found in every corner of the world, making it imperative that we act quickly to improve the workforce prospects of the next generation.
Brahima Sanou Director Telecommunication Development Bureau Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment v Table of contents Page 1 Introduction...
13 3. 3 Offshore services...15 4 New employment and entrepreneurship opportunities Emerging sectors...17 4. 1 Online job services and job matching...
18 4. 2 Microwork and crowdsourcing...18 4. 3 Apps development...21 4. 3. 1 App demand in developing countries...
22 4. 3. 2 Tech hubs for app development...23 4. 4 Accessibility...24 4. 5 Gaming...
25 4. 6 Mobile phone repair and computer assembly...26 4. 7 Green jobs...26 4. 7. 1 Green jobs and ICTS...
34 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment vi Page 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support...
35 6. 1 Entrepreneurship skills...36 6. 2 Mentoring and networking...38 6. 3 Crowdfunding, contests,
and other sources of capital...39 6. 4 Toolkits and training programmes...41 6. 5 Mobile resources...
41 6. 6 Comprehensive programmes...42 7 Getting there becoming ICT-savvy...42 7. 1 New learning models...
60 8. 5 Policies to support youth entrepreneurship...61 9 Conclusion...62 References...64 Glossary...
69 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 1 1 Introduction Youth make up 17 per cent of the world's population and 40 per cent of the world's unemployed, according to the International labour organization.
High youth unemployment not only hampers economic growth, for youth it can be a debilitating experience that affects their desire
and provide them with better opportunities for employment. Against this backdrop ongoing advances in information and communication technologies (ICTS) are transforming old sectors
and creating new ones. No sector has been untouched, from farming to manufacturing to service industries. This transformation is effectively making digital literacy a prerequisite for both wage employment
People with more advanced ICT skills can take advantage of an even wider range of opportunities brought about by the growth of the app economy
For today's youth this signals an opportunity, if the right steps are taken. Youth with access to technology are coming of age as digital natives,
The premise of this report is that much more needs to be done to realize these opportunities.
Against this gloomy picture there is an explosion of new learning opportunities that employ novel (and often free or inexpensive) ways for people to gain the right skills.
and entrepreneurship skills and seize new ICT-enabled career prospects? is there need for action when the market is creating new opportunities for people with ICT skills,
and people can go online and learn these skills? Unquestionably yes. Many opportunities are untapped still largely,
and policies and programmes are aligned not to take advantage of the possibilities. The nonstop proliferation of new applications and services makes concerted efforts to prepare youth with the appropriate skills all the more challenging.
Accordingly, the primary aim of this report is to spotlight emerging trends, focusing on new work opportunities, new skills,
and new ways of acquiring these skills. The hope is that readers will gain a better understanding of a range of new and innovative ways that youth can realize better futures.
the authors encountered a huge volume of job matching services, employability programs, contests and other programs for entrepreneurs, online learning platforms,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 2 adequately represent all of these in a report of reasonable length.
It is hoped that this database will provide youth with a valuable asset in their efforts to secure meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
generating new opportunities, services, and products. It is possible to pilot a new curriculum, for instance,
and identifying and incorporating emerging opportunities. Institutional nimbleness is a key attribute of successful initiatives,
and offshore services to demonstrate how ICTS have transformed and created new job opportunities in both traditional and new industries.
The primary focus of the report follows covering new employment sectors, new skills, and new ways of learning.
and discusses a range of emerging work opportunities, from microwork to app development, that are a direct result of advances in ICTS and global internet diffusion.
Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the skills needed to take advantage of the new opportunities, with Chapter 5 looking at employability skills and Chapter 6 focusing on entrepreneurship skills as well as programs that foster entrepreneurship.
Chapter 8 discusses the role of government in supporting youth employment and entrepreneurship. Chapter 9 offers some concluding thoughts. 1. 2 Notes and limitations Each one of these chapters could occupy many books,
and entrepreneurship For purposes of this report a World bank categorization is applied. It includes wage employment, self employment, and farming.
Under this categorization, entrepreneurship is a form and subset of self employment. Self employment, though, can be a double-edged sword.
Many businesses in developing countries are started not to exploit Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 3 business opportunities but because the owners cannot find satisfactory jobs. 2 In fact,
most micro-and small enterprises in developing countries are just forms of survivorship, with limited chances to grow. 3 This definition is intended not to diminish the importance of self employment.
It is crucial for job creation. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, adopts Schumpeter's idea of an entrepreneur as one who is dynamic and willing to take risks to exploit existing business opportunities
and create new ones. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor4 the largest ongoing global study of entrepreneurial dynamics in the world measures the multiple phases of entrepreneurship.
The phases start out with potential entrepreneurs those that see opportunities in their area and believe they have the capabilities to start businesses and moves through nascent and new entrepreneurs.
Other definitions include the extent to which individuals would not be deterred by fear of failure in pursuing opportunities.
In addition, the broader society can influence the spread of entrepreneurship through perceptions about this activity as a career choice,
the status of entrepreneurs in society and positive representation of entrepreneurs in the media. 5 This report focuses on the early stages of entrepreneurship. 2 Youth
and unemployment Around the world youth disproportionately suffer from the malaise of unemployment. The scale of the problem is immense
holding back economic growth while stifling the aspirations of people recently entering the workforce and at the beginnings of their careers.
Opportunity Entrepreneurs in the Informal Sector, 2009, http://works. bepress. com/mohammad amin/15.3 World bank World Development Report 2013:
10.1596/978-0-8213-9575-2. 4 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, GEM 2011 Global Report,(Babson Park, Mass:
Babson college, 2011), www. gemconsortium. org/docs/cat/1/global-reports. The GEM is the largest ongoing global study of entrepreneurial dynamics in the world,
measures multiple phases on entrepreneurship, sponsored by Babson college (USA), Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile) and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia).
it aims to analyse the level of entrepreneurship occurring in a wide basket of countries.
It measures entrepreneurship through both surveys and interviews to field experts, conducted by the teams of each country. 5 World bank.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 4 Underemployed youth is triple the unemployment rate. 9 These are predominantly youth who work in the informal sector, facing low wages, no benefits,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 5 Figure 2: Unemployment rates by age range Source:
Gallup 2. 2 The skills mismatch In addition to the protracted economic crisis from which many countries are still trying to recover,
In the developing world, as much as two-thirds of the young population is underutilized in some developing economies,
/Global-Unemployment-2011. aspx Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 6 Figure 3: Youth unemployment rates, by region Source:
2012p 2013p 2014p 2015p 2016p WORLD 12.7 11.6 11.7 12.6 12.7 12.6 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.7 Developed Economies & EU
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 7 Youth not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET) is one of the main challenges policymakers in developed economies face.
In Japan and the United states, NEET rates were 9. 7 and 15.6 per cent respectively in 2010,
they are likely to lack the life skills required for formal employment as well as the social networks needed to obtain new opportunities.
since the economic crisis started. 26 2. 4 Regional trends: Developing countries The labour market in the developing world is highly diverse
International Labour Office, 2012), 31.21 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods,(Baltimore:
First Findings,(Eurofound, 2011), 5. 23 Clive R. Belfield, Henry M. Levin, Rachel Rosen, The Economic value of Opportunity Youth,(Washington, D c.:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 8 2. 4. 1 Latin america and the Caribbean In Latin america and the Caribbean, youth unemployment has declined recently
or advanced education. 35 This situation reflects a skills mismatch wherein there is stronger demand for workers with a college education than those with secondary education. 2. 4. 2 Arab States Youth unemployment rates in the middle East continue to be the highest in the world.
ILO, 2010), 18.32 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods, 6. 33 UNESCO Santiago, Education, Youth,
UNESCO, 2010), http://unesdoc. unesco. org/images/0018/001891/189108e. pdf. 34 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 9 Youth face an underdeveloped private sector and a growing informal sector.
at 21 per cent of the total population. 39 Although this represents an opportunity for economic growth,
the private sector has created not the number of jobs needed in the region to meet this demand.
and math. 47 This mismatch is demonstrated in surveys indicating high rates of employer dissatisfaction with the availability of skilled workers, 40 per 39 World bank, The Road Not Traveled:
Education Reform in the middle East and North africa, Executive Summary,(Washington, D c.,2007), 11.40 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods, 5. 43 Internation Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods, 5. 44 International labour organization,"Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013,17. 45 Ibid.
17.47 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelhoods, 5. Digital opportunities:
Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 10 cent in one 2008 survey. 48 Educational achievement as measured by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicates that the education system in this region is performing adequately at imparting basic skills,
The World bank, 2012), 4. 49 Ibid, 5. 50 International labour organization,"Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013,13-15.51 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
/55 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelhoods, 12.56 International labour organization,"Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013,20. 57 Ibid.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 11 Africa has the highest rate of working poor,
highlighting the need for new opportunities beyond the traditional sectors. Figure 5: Informal sector employment shares, by region (2009) Source:
The demand for them cuts across sectors from agriculture and construction to education and service industries. 61 Europe predicts that within five years,
locale=en. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 WORLD Developed Economies & EU Central & Southeastern Europe (non
-EU) & CIS East asia Southeast asia & the Pacific South Asia Latin america & the Caribbean Middle east North africa Sub-saharan africa Digital opportunities:
agriculture, health and offshore services. These sectors were chosen to illustrate the range of changes brought about by ICTS, from agriculture, a traditionally manual labour-intensive sector that employs the majority of the developing world, to health,
a sector that has witnessed some of the most profound changes as a result of ICT advances, to offshore services, a sector
as well as ushering in entirely new opportunities. ICT-led transformations of all workforce sectors should improve the employment and entrepreneurial prospects of youth with ICT skills.
it is easiest to quantify the opportunities in the offshore services sector where the majority of employees are youth. 3. 1 Agriculture The agriculture sector is becoming more knowledge intensive,
and as this trend intensifies so too do opportunities for ICT-related job creation. Upgrading workforce skills is becoming a key factor in the competitiveness of the agriculture sector.
The increased complexity of the agriculture value chain, the enforcement of strict public and private industry standards and the growing competition among developing country suppliers, highlight the need for strategic investments in workforce
and communication allows farmers to cope with and even benefit from challenges like a growing population,
there are growing opportunities to use ICTS to monitor them, track the interventions of numerous stakeholders in multiple processes,
and evaluate system performance more effectively. 66 The Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) programme is an initiative of The Grameen Foundation in Uganda that features a network of information intermediaries using mobile technology to deliver agricultural information
and services to smallholder farmers. Services include agricultural tips and advice, weather forecasts, a market platform,
and supplier directory, among others. The Grameen Foundation works with local agricultural research organizations and other experts to curate content
and administer the services. Currently there are 98 CKWS operating in Eastern Uganda with expansion plans underway for the coming three years.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 13 3. 2 Health Healthcare is a global multi-trillion dollar industry that is undergoing massive changes as a result of ICTDRIVEN innovations.
Unequal access to affordable and high-quality health services continues to be a critical challenge in many low and middle income countries.
Inefficient allocation of scarce resources and lack of coordination among key stakeholders have made duplication of efforts, overlapping responsibilities,
and/or to instant message with a health practitioner for medical advice. 2. Facilitate patient communications:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 14 Figure 6: Technology-enabled programmes, by purpose Source:
or both. 69 Text messaging services do not appear to be used widely. Programme implementers seem to prefer voice messages over text messages,
5. 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Extend geographic access Facilitate patient communications Improve diagnosis
by Year Launched Nontechnology-enabled programmes Technology-enabled programmes Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 15 THE WHO study also reveals many programmes that face important barriers. 71 Problems with end-user acceptance of the technology may be the result of lack of familiarity with the technology
IBM, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), The swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Vodacom and Vodafone.
www. smsforlife. com 3. 3 Offshore services Over the past two decades the offshore services industry has turned into one of the most dynamic sectors,
and consumption of services and the possibility for emerging economies to contribute for the first time to the world's services industry,
These services include information technology outsourcing (ITO), business process outsourcing (BPO and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) as well as industry specific services. 72 73 Offshore services are a potential vehicle for low-and middle-income countries to participate in the global knowledge economy
. 74 This industry offers a good salary, career development opportunities for graduates and professionals, and the opportunity to incorporate into the labour market marginalized groups like rural women or unemployed youth.
Offshore services can also be performed via microwork and crowdsourcing channels as described in the next chapter.
The development of this sector has created also secondary effects like the demand for education useful to work in this sector.
Therefore besides creating a large number of direct jobs, it is estimated that an additional four indirect jobs are created for every offshore services job that is created. 75 71 Ibid.,
6. 72 Gereffi et al.""Skills for Upgrading: Workforce Development and Global Value Chains in Developing Countries,"276.73 ITO is the basic building block for the offshore services value chain
and is centred on the production and use of software. BPO is a diverse category that contains activities related to the management of enterprise resources (ERM), human resources (HRM),
and customer relationships (CRM). KPO refers to specialized and high-value added activities that often require professional licensing, e g. legal services. 74 Gary Gereffi,
"Skills for Upgrading: Workforce Development and Global Value Chains in Developing Countries,"140.75 Ibid. 141.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 16 Firms or countries tend to follow any of the five following trajectories
when establishing a niche in this sector: 76 1. Entering into the value chain: A common way through which an economy can enter the offshore services value chain is by establishing call centre operations.
This creates an opportunity for low-income countries to enter the knowledge economy. 2. Upgrading within the business process segment:
Companies that have established basic BPO operations, like call centres, can develop new higher value services. For example, firms can expand their call centres to include CRM management. 3. Offering full package services:
Companies positioned in the ITO and KPO segments may opt to provide a more comprehensive range of activities
and include BPO services. 4. Expanding IT firms into KPO services: IT companies may engage customers to find solutions for unsolved business problems. 5. Industry specialization:
Companies offering some ITO, BPO, and KPO services for a wide range of industries can start specializing
and focus on key high or low value industries to develop expertise. A country aiming to enter the offshore services global value chain requires a workforce that has more than basic skills.
Most workers are likely to require specialized training in order to fill the knowledge gap between local education systems
and the high-quality standards required to serve the global market. 77 This includes training in English language as well as in new technologies and processes, the latter
Guatemala, El salvador While countries such as India and the Philippines steal the headlines in the offshore services sector,
many other countries have discovered tremendous opportunities as well. The Dominican republic, Guatemala, and El salvador, for example, have implemented successfully a near-shore concept,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 17 4 New employment and entrepreneurship opportunities Emerging sectors The increasing adoption of ICTS in everyday life,
and the growing marketplace for digital goods and services, are creating opportunities for youth to find employment that transcend traditional paradigms.
The way young people find and carry out work is changing. Instead of looking in the local newspaper, youth around the world browse web-based job listings to find work.
-and project-based work opportunities-many of which are restricted not to highly skilled developers, but can also extend to semiskilled and low-skilled workers with access to a relatively basic digital infrastructure. 80 The global increase in the use of mobile technologies is playing a key role in expanding employment opportunities for youth.
Great potential for employment growth derives from a demand for services enabled by mobile phones. 81 Young people can now find
Mobile financial services such as M-PESA82 are making it easier for young people to receive payment for services rendered
and how the emerging app economy 83 might generate new employment opportunities for young people around the world.
In addition there are opportunities for developers with entrepreneurial ambitions to start their own appsbased businesses. This chapter explores a range of emerging opportunities involving ICTS and youth employment and entrepreneurship.
First, the ways in which young people find work through digital job matching services is covered, followed by new opportunities for ICT enabled employment.
The chapter then turns to the growing app industry, its potential for employment, and some of the issues related to becoming an appbased entrepreneur.
This includes a need for people with skills to develop accessible software and websites for people with disabilities.
Lastly opportunities that green jobs may hold for youth are examined. 80 Vili Lehdonvirta and Mirko Ernkvist.
Knowledge Map Of The Virtual Economy Converting the Virtual Economy into Development Potential,(Washington, D c.:
infodev, 2011), 28, www. infodev. org/en/Publication. 1076. html. 81 World bank, Information and Communications for Development 2012 Maximizing Mobile,(Washington, D c.:
pesa is Swahili for money) is an innovative mobile transfer solution that enables customers to transfer money.
It is aimed at mobile customers who do not have a bank account, either by choice, because they do not have access to a bank
and Vodafone. 83 The app economy refers to the range of economic activity surrounding mobile applications.
The app economy encompasses the development of and sale of apps ad revenue or public relations generated by free apps,
and the hardware devices on which apps are designed to run. www. techopedia. com/definition/28141/app-economy.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 18 4. 1 Online job services and job matching
While it may be skilled common for, educated workers to use existing web-based job-matching services to find job openings,
many workers may not have access to job postings on the internet and may lack the social networks to find out about work opportunities.
Searching for informal sector jobs often occurs through word-of-mouth, which limits people to their immediate social group.
Employers may find it hard to identify lower-skilled workers for entry-level jobs in developing countries as many of the job matching services target more qualified candidates.
and there are a number of job-matching services in the developing world that simplify the job search process.
These services are proving to be very beneficial for people with basic literacies but who may not possess the knowledge to create a résumé
offshore services have turned into one of the most dynamic sectors employing people around the world.
such as paid employees. 85 84 World bank, Information and Communications for Development 2012: Maximizing Mobile, 75.85 Crowdsourcing, Wikipedia, https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Crowdsourcing, accessed on December 3, 2012.
See also Jeff Howe, The Rise of Crowdsourcing (Wired, 2006), www. wired. com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds. html Digital opportunities:
Author elaboration and Howe (2008) Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing business models benefit individuals with higher-level technical skills.
Crowdsourcing is becoming increasingly popular as a way for employers to instantaneously increase their workforce without the investment
offering a range of services from product categorization and labelling for major online retail and auction sites like Amazon, ebay,
but the demand for it occurs in peaks and the work needs to be completed quickly
and the results sent back to the customers. Crowdflower was started in 2007 and is based in San francisco. 87 Website:
and Ernkvist, Knowledge Map Of The Virtual Economy, 28. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 20 Microwork Microwork is a series of small tasks that have been broken out of a larger business process
or project that can be completed via the internet or mobile devices. Microwork is considered the smallest the most granular unit of work in a virtual assembly line. 88 It also requires the lowest level of skills.
and underemployment and could benefit from flexible income-generating opportunities. 89 The microwork market is growing rapidly.
opportunities for sustainable employment as principal workers in business process outsourcing centres to provide high-quality, information-based services to domestic and international clients.
and employ 2. 9 million people or nearly 25 percent of everyone working in a business process outsourcing enterprise.
https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Microwork, accessed on December 3, 2012 89 World bank, New Frontiers and Opportunities in Work.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 21 Samasource is a nonprofit organization that brings digital work opportunities to people around the world.
Samasource secures contracts with companies including Google, Intuit, and CISCO; it has provided services to Linkedin and the U s. State department,
to provide data entry, digitization, content moderation, and other services. Component tasks (microwork) are distributed to the workforce,
including 1 600 women and youth working with partner organizations in countries such as Haiti, Pakistan, and Uganda.
the app economy has generated roughly 752 000 app related jobs in the United states alone as of July 2013.92 The figure is 530 000 jobs in the 28 European union countries. 93 Apps
Interestingly, winners of Pivot East's recent app competitions for the mobile and developer communities in East Africa have both been games-a Matatu racing game that has been downloaded 150 000 times in over 200 countries
However, the verdict is out in terms of how sustainable the app economy will be, and whether it will produce enough revenue in emerging markets to support this new generation of entrepreneurs.
and waiting for the profits to come in. It requires investment in constant development upgrades, and new features.
App stores are highly competitive and offering new features is essential to maintaining an app's ratings and reviews.
Sizing the number of jobs generated by the app economy is difficult. Any particular app could be created by a single teenage programmer,
or by a large team at a big company. 92 Michael Mandel, 752,000 App Economy jobs on the 5th anniversary of the App store,(Progressive Policy Institute, July 2013), www
. progressivepolicy. org/2013/07/752000-app-economy-jobs-on-the-5th-anniversary-of-the-app-store/93 Andreas Pappas,
The EU App Economy: 530,000 jobs and rising,(Vision Mobile, September 2013), www. visionmobile. com/blog/2013/09/report-the-eu-app-economy-530000-jobs-and-rising/94
Vision Mobile, Developer Economics 2012: The New App Economy,(June 2012) 4, www. visionmobile. com/blog/2012/06/report-developer-economics-2012-the-new-app-economy/.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 22 Jobs in the app economy can be categorized as follows:
IT-related jobs that use app economy skills the ability to develop, maintain, or support mobile applications.
Non-IT jobs (such as human resources or marketing) which support app developers in the same company.
Jobs in the local economy that are supported by app developers. The following is a list of types of app economy employers95 Large, medium,
and small app developers, who may be creating apps for themselves or for clients. Media and software companies that engage in app development for consumer use under their own name.
Finance and retail companies that use apps to reach customers. Other large non-tech companies that are developing apps for internal and customer use.
Smaller non-tech firms who need a small number of app developers. Nonprofit organizations and government agencies, including the military,
which require app developers to perform their functions. Support companies to help manage all the new technology.
Large tech companies who develop essential infrastructure and complementary technologies for the app economy. Accounting and IT consulting firms,
who provide app development as part of a larger suite of services. 4. 3. 1 App demand in developing countries
but from the demand for localized apps in the developing world. 96 Developers in North america see relatively small demand from other regions,
Latin america and Asia have a large share of developers (44 and 38 per cent respectively) that do not see high local demand-developers there mostly export apps to North america and Europe, where demand for apps,
local demand in these markets will reach the levels of local demand in Europe and North america,
and people in these regions become more engaged. 95 Mandel and Scherer, The Geography of the App Economy, 15.96 Vision Mobile, Developer Economics 2012:
The New App Economy, 73. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 23 Figure 9:
Global map of app trade routes Source: Developer Economics 2012 For developers focusing on in-region, for-region development, the opportunity may lie in addressing market gaps in app categories in their own country.
Opportunities exist for developers to produce apps that are relevant in terms of both local language and content.
Emerging app economies have potential markets that are much larger than that of English speaking regions and Europe.
Developers worldwide must close the language deficit by accelerating production of local language apps. These opportunities could be particularly strong in countries with large markets, rapidly increasing levels of user engagement and smartphone penetration as in Asia
Latin america, Eastern europe, Russia and Africa. 4. 3. 2 Tech hubs for app development One of the most exciting developments currently happening for tech entrepreneurs are the tech hubs springing up across the developing world.
For economic growth in the app economy, it is crucial for developers to be able to continuously update their technical skills,
In response to demand by local mobile entrepreneurs a number of incubators, or labs, focused on mobile entrepreneurs have been established over the last five years in emerging markets,
including the Grameem Foundation's Applabs in Uganda, Indonesia, Ghana and Colombia, and infodev regional mobile applications laboratories, or mlabs.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 24 The World bank Bank's infodev programme, in collaboration with the Government of Finland and Nokia, has established a network of five mlabs in Armenia, Kenya, South africa, Pakistan, and Viet nam.
which promote networking among stakeholder communities in the mobile industry; provide advice, mentorship, idea and product development competitions, and;
offer access to investors through regular informal events and conferences. Both the mlabs and mhubs are managed
and used by local communities working to increase the competitiveness of enterprises in mobile content
In addition to local incubators, there are now numerous regional competitions for app developers in emerging markets, many with a social agenda, that offer financial support and training for developers to use mobile platforms.
For example, Apps4africa features a competition where young companies are offered six minutes to demonstrate their app's utility
their business model and their case for investment. The competition targets start-ups and businesses through competitive funding, offering venture capital, mentorship and other forms of support.
The goal for the 2012 competition was to catalyse the growth of Africa's early-stage start-ups to address the issue of youth unemployment across the continent.
In many developing countries where mobile phones are the primary means of accessing information via the internet,
It should be noted that some of those mobile services have not been apps per se but aggregated services or lower tech solutions such as SMS or instant messaging. 4. 4 Accessibility Persons with disabilities number over one billion worldwide,
or 15 per cent of the world's population. Bolstered by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
build community and provide opportunities for accessibility professionals to engage with each other. 98 There are also numerous targeted efforts to spur the development of accessible ICTS.
In Egypt, for example, the Ministry of Communications and Information technology has held a contest to promote the development of accessibility mobile phone apps and other software applications, with the most recent 97 In the United states, for example,
www. accessibilityassociation. org Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 25 winners receiving incubation, financial,
and workforce participation opportunities, for a huge proportion of the population. Accessible ICTS have the potential to provide persons with disabilities unprecedented levels of access to education, skills training and employment,
as well as the opportunity to participate in the economic, cultural and social life of their communities. 100 There are extensive examples of how persons with disabilities have used ICTS to enjoy meaningful employment,
Gaming platforms also rely on the outsourcing of small tasks through third-party gaming services like Crowdflower.
The gross revenues of the third-party gaming services industry were approximately USD3. 0 billion in 2009.
Third party gaming services have enabled thousands of young people from modest backgrounds to create employment for themselves as digital entrepreneurs.
low-skilled workers in China and Viet nam earn their primary income by outsourcing their services to gaming platforms. 102 The third-party online gaming services segment consists mainly of activities known as gold farming 103 and power
-leveling. 104 Both are essentially services where an online game player hires someone else to play the game on their behalf. 105 Players in more developed countries,
An industry analyst has estimated that the near-term opportunities for further rapid online game market growth in East Asian developing countries are located primarily in Indonesia
The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework; ITU, 2013,3 101 Ibid. 11, International Telecommunication Union.
Making Mobile phones and Services Accessible, 2012 102 Lehdonvirta and Ernkvist. Knowledge Map Of The Virtual Economy, p51. 103 Gold Farming refers to
when individuals play a multiplayer online game to acquire in-game currency that other players purchase in exchange for real-world money.
Knowledge Map Of The Virtual Economy. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 26 4. 6 Mobile phone repair and computer assembly Mobile phone repair as well as computer maintenance and assembly continue to be important areas of youth job
training and employment in many regions around the world. In cities throughout the developing world, the ICT and electronics markets where mobile phones are sold
and repaired serve as many people's first interactions with technology as well as a huge source of employment and entrepreneurship.
as well as business training for local micro enterprises. Action Technique pour un Developpement Communautaire Action Technique pour un Developpement Communautaire (ATEDEC) is designed a project to educate orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda in computer applications,
atedec. wordpress. com 4. 7 Green jobs There is increasing consensus in the development community that the global environmental crisis is an opportunity for employment in
It is estimated that a shift to a greener economy could generate 15 to 60 million additional jobs globally over the next two decades
and lift tens of millions of workers out of poverty. 106 A recent OECD report argues that promoting ICT skills in the green and smart economy pays a double dividend by encouraging job creation
national and local levels. 108 The United nations Environment Program's 2011 Green Economy Report makes the claim that economic progress
and that the green economy will deliver green jobs and thus lead to decreased unemployment rates.
including forestry, agriculture, building, transport, services, administration and renewable energy. 109 106 International labour organization, Working Towards Sustainable Development Opportunities for Decent Work and Social Inclusion in a Green
Economy,(Geneva: International Labour Office, 2012). 107 OECD, ICT Skills and Employment: New Competences and Jobs for a Greener and Smarter Economy, OECD Digital economy Papers, No. 198,(OECD Publishing, 2012), http://dx. doi. org/10.1787/5k994f3prlr5-en
. 108 Angelica Valeria Ospina, The Outcome of Rio+20: An ICT Perspective on‘The Future We Want,'Notes on ICTS, Climate Change and Development, http://niccd. wordpress. com/2012/06/27/the-outcome-of-rio20-anict-perspective-on-the-future
/109 United nations Environment Programme, Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication,(Nairobi, Kenya:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 27 Employment growth in the renewable energy sector alone is projected to be impressive for the coming decades.
the OECD refers to them as jobs that contribute to protecting the environment and reducing the harmful effects human activity has on it (mitigation),
111 4. 7. 1 Green jobs and ICTS Data centres and other ICT infrastructures are increasingly vital for all sectors of the economy,
Other green jobs will be related to greening the economy, such as working on the systems that operate wind farms,
Other areas of employment in the green economy that involve a range of ICTS from geographic information systems to satellite imagery
In emerging economies and developing countries, the gains are likely to be higher than in industrialized countries,
accounting for some 7 per cent of all formal employment. 112 110 United nations Environment Programme.
Green Economy, Renewable Energy: Investing in Energy and Resource Efficiency,(UNEP, 2011). 111 OECD, ICT Skills and Employment:
New Competences and Jobs for a Greener and Smarter Economy. 112 United nations Environment Programme, Transition to Green Economy Could Yield up to 60 Million Jobs, UNEP News Centre, May 31
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 28 4. 7. 2 Green jobs for youth The dialogue around ICTS and the green economy has centered largely on food security, sustainable agriculture, and energy efficiency.
Interestingly, youth participation in the green economy has not been an area of focus; however in the context of the 2012 Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, youth advocacy groups lobbied that young people should be seen as an asset for a green economy that would in turn generate youth employment. 113 Youth have expressed a strong interest
in renewable energy and fighting climate change as evidenced in local, regional and international youth climate movements. 114 Many surveys of youth show their desire to create green jobs for the future.
Brazil discovered the pre-salt in its coast, and needs green technology to extract it
YMCA volunteer Upgrading youth ICT skills will be a key factor in their ability to participate in and benefit from the green economy.
community mapping and social media tools are offering new ways that young people can play a role in smart energy-efficient economic growth,
and environmental protection. 5 ICT employability skills What skills are required to take advantage of the opportunities described in this report?
As shown, there is a wide range of ways that ICTS are revolutionizing all sectors of the economy
basic computer literacy is not sufficient to pursue the majority of new opportunities described in earlier chapters.
option=com k2&view=item&layout=item&id=23&itemid=128 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 29 a variation of ICT skills that is becoming increasingly important for some careers.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 30 5. 2 Digital literacy Most of today's attention around ICT skills is focused on the concept of digital literacy.
and retrieving information 2. Communication 2. 1 Interacting through technologies 2. 2 Sharing information and content 2. 3 Engaging in online citizenship 2. 4 Collaborating through digital channels 2. 5 Netiquette 2. 6 Managing digital identity 3. Content
Protecting the environment 5. Problem solving 5. 1 Solving technical problems 5. 2 Identifying needs and technological responses 5. 3 Innovating
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 31 Second, being digitally literate involves much more than having technical skills.
and web-based collaborative services (e g. track changes, comments on a document or resource, tags, contribution to wikis, etc.)
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 32 All of these distinctions have important implications for digital literacy training.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 33 Figure 12: Web skills/Competencies/Literacies grid EXPLORING CREATING CONNECTING PROTECTING BEGINNER Browser basics (e g.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 34 5. 4 Complementary skills The discussion in this chapter so far has focused on the ICT-related skills required for meaningful participation in society as well as work.
pdf. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 35 Learning and innovation skills: creativity and innovation;
communication and collaboration. The following chapter shows that many of these soft skills are also essential for entrepreneurs.
Finally, many organizations that provide employability training have developed a range of complementary services aimed at improving the employment prospects of their clients.
These services include: 125 CV preparation; job counselling; employee connection services; information on local labour markets;
sector-specific training, often in collaboration with industry; language training, especially English. 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support It is recognized widely that entrepreneurship is a necessary ingredient for stimulating economic growth and employment opportunities around the world.
In developing countries successful small businesses are the primary engines of job creation, income growth, and poverty reduction.
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) estimated that 388 million entrepreneurs were engaged actively in starting and running new businesses in 2011 around the globe,
Entrepreneurship, Emprendimiento, Ujasiriamali The importance of entrepreneurship is being elevated around the world. Governments, multinational corporations,
and NGOS are joining forces to promote entrepreneurship as a strategy for economic development. It is becoming easier for entrepreneurs to find the information they need to start their own businesses,
but a few examples of the new national priority that governments are assigning to entrepreneurship. Over 120 countries now participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week activities promoted by the Kauffman Foundation.
As a result, young people everywhere are participating in pitch fests, competitions, startup events and other activities sponsored by local governments, NGOS and the private sector. 125 Maria Garrido and Nancy Garland,"e-Skills and employability:
A learning and networking event for NGOS. Workshop Report, Barcelona, June 2007,"(Seattle: Technology & Social Change Group, 2007), http://hdl. handle. net/1773/16291.126 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2011 GEM Global Report.
It should be noted that the GEM surveys entrepreneurs 18-64 of age. 127 World bank. World Development Report 2013:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 36 Business incubators and accelerators are emerging around the world seeking to emulate the successes of Silicon valley.
Wired Magazine likens the opportunities in Africa to those of the pre-dotcom boom in 1995.128 Referred to as the Silicon Savannah,
Kenya has become a new hotbed for innovation, startups, and app creation. Household tech names such as Google, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia and Vodafone all have a presence there,
business accelerators and incubators. 129 While the excitement around entrepreneurship is unmistakeable, it is also important to temper expectations as there is no definitive evidence that entrepreneurship will solve the job situation faced by youth in the developing world.
It is early days, and proper assessments of programmes and initiatives are required further down the line.
Becoming an entrepreneur is the result of a personal decision-making process that entails an assessment of opportunities
Entrepreneurship education and start-up support contribute to the creation and development of entrepreneurial attitudes, motivations and skills needed to successfully run
and grow a business. 130 6. 1 Entrepreneurship skills Many factors are required for successful entrepreneurship.
Most important are entrepreneurship skills and competences. 131 Motivated people need the right set of skills to identify entrepreneurial opportunities
and to turn their entrepreneurial projects into successful ventures. Becoming familiar early with the idea that running one's own firm can be a potential career option is important
and education has a core function in this. In addition to the employability skills listed in chapter 5,
9 Latin american Accelerator Programs You Should Know,(thenextweb. com, July 29, 2011), http://thenextweb. com/la/2011/07/29/9-latin-american-accelerator-programs-you-should-know/.
/130 Andrea-Rosalinde Hofer and Austin Delaney,"Shooting for the Moon: Good Practices in Local Youth Entrepreneurship Support,"(OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Working papers 11,2010), www. oecdilibrary. org/content/workingpaper/5km7rq0k8h9q
-en. 131 Ibid. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 37 Figure 14: Core entrepreneurial skills and attributes132*English continues to be recognized as key for conducting business
and securing investors. The largest outsourcing markets are also English speaking. Business Training is Vital Entrepreneurs cannot rely on ambition and innovation alone.
create business plans; develop revenue and funding models; market and sell a new product or idea;
www. bioscience. heacademy. ac. uk/resources/entrepreneurship/skills. aspx 133 An ihuber is a person who frequents the IHUB co-working space and business incubator in Nairobi, Kenya
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 38 Important skills for digital entrepreneurs In addition, digital entrepreneurs also require skills in a variety of areas related to business communications, customer relation management
, finance and systems management, as shown below. Operations and management: scheduling contact management information management project planning Finance:
common financial documents expense tracking cash flow analysis financial accounting Communications: email (and managing mailing lists) presentations virtual collaboration Research:
and management 6. 2 Mentoring and networking ICT entrepreneurs identify their greatest needs as start-up capital and opportunities to network with business people and other technology entrepreneurs.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 39 Micromentor is an initiative of the nonprofit humanitarian agency Mercy Corps that offers free online guidance to entrepreneurs
Services are provided to entrepreneurs, particularly those with low incomes and limited access to business resources, in the United states as well as Nicaragua and Haiti.
The request is listed then in the mentoring opportunity database, where volunteer mentors can offer to help.
or peers, serve three distinct purposes in the development of new ventures discovering opportunities, securing new resources,
and pitch products and services. Mobile Monday is one of the most prominent examples, founded in 2000
which brings together the Caribbean's technology and entrepreneurship communities. Many organizations also sponsor networking events, such as pitch fests139 and Barcamps,
and business ventures to be conceived. 141 6. 3 Crowdfunding, contests, and other sources of capital Funding is crucial to nearly every start-up.
This includes crowdfunding and contests, as well as new venture capital initiatives focused on the developing world. Crowdfunding is the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the internet,
to support an entrepreneur's business. Crowdfunding platforms have become a popular way for entrepreneurs to get funding without giving up equity
and it is expected that start-ups will continue to 137 World bank, Information and Communications for Development 2012:
Maximizing Mobile, 77.138 Mobile Monday, www. mobilemonday. net. 139 A pitch fest is an event where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to potential investors. 140 Barcamp is an international
network of technology-related conferences where participants set the agendas. 141 Nicola Jenvey, SA delegation praises DEMO Africa innovation competition in Kenya, Young Business leaders, November 16
, 2012, http://ybl. co. za/demo-africa-south-africa-contestants/./Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 40 turn to crowdfunding as one of their primary sources of investment capital.
According to Forbes, crowdfunding will generate USD 500 billion in transactions in 2013.142 Venture capital for Africa is an example of a crowdfunding model to connect entrepreneurs building promising companies in Africa with investors from some 159 countries
around the world. The community currently supports more than 400 ventures in over 30 African countries. Entrepreneurs have been featured in mainstream media, established joint ventures and secured funding.
Entrepreneurs can publish business ideas, build a fan base, source feedback and meet experts. They can also receive dedicated mentorship support
and open a round of funding. Investors, registered as part of the investor network, can access screened ventures and review ventures that match their investment criteria.
Members meet online as well as organize offline-networking events called VC4AFRICA Meetups. These have been hosted in 35 cities around the world.
Website: www. vc4africa. biz Contests are another popular way to compete for funding. Every year witnesses more and more contests national,
The ITU Young Innovators Competition is held annually as part of ITU Telecom World. The 2012 event in Dubai offered nearly 400 entrepreneurs aged 18-25 from 77 countries the opportunity to showcase their ICT-based projects.
The young entrepreneurs had intensive oneon-one sessions with industry mentors including ongoing support over a one-year development period.
They attended training sessions focused on developing entrepreneurial skills, as well opportunities to network with ICT representatives in industry, governments, and academia.
world2013. itu. int/event/innovation Venture funds are also being established by many organizations to fund startups.
It aims to support entrepreneurs by providing them with investment, training and mentorship in an effort to accelerate the transformation of their business ideas and start-ups into high growth companies in the ICT, digital media and mobile sectors.
there is more angel funding, legal advice, mentoring and networking opportunities with local business leaders, and possibly investment directly from Oasis500.
Since 2010, it has received 2 000 applications and has invested in 49 companies. Website: www. oasis500. com 142 Devin Thorpe, Why Crowdfunding Will Explode In 2013, Forbes, October 15, 2012,
www. forbes. com/sites/devinthorpe/2012/10/15/get-ready-here-it-comes-crowdfunding-will-explode-in-2013/.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 41 6. 4 Toolkits and training programmes There are many digital resources designed to help young entrepreneurs that have been created by the major software companies, many in conjunction
with development agencies. Some of these resources are available entirely online, while others combine online resources with in-person activities.
Some examples include: the Small Business Toolkit, 143 a product of IBM and the World bank's International finance corporation, Hewlett packard's Smart Technology for a Smarter Business Program, 144 Intel Learn, 145 and Build Your Business, a collaboration
Build Your Business (BYB) is an interactive entrepreneurship training course designed to introduce young people aged 16-35 to the basic ideas, actions,
www. iyfnet. org/build-your-business 6. 5 Mobile resources An increasing number of mobile phone resources are enabling entrepreneurs to access capital,
not only for contacting customers and accessing the internet, but also for making financial transactions, establishing a client database,
www. intel. com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/intel-learn. html. 146 World bank, Information and Communications for Development 2012:
Maximizing Mobile, 75.147 https://squareup. com/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 42 Providing access to market information has long been a goal of many initiatives,
today many services are helping small businesses, farmers, and others buy and sell over the internet,
www. 8villages. com/6. 6 Comprehensive programmes Many organizations and initiatives provide a suite of services,
including entrepreneurship skills, ICT training, apprenticeships, business training, funding and/or mentorship, among others. These comprehensive programmes offer integrated services for young entrepreneurs with the aim of facilitating as much as possible the arduous process of starting a new business.
Many of these programmes are the result of public-private partnerships. Microsoft Youthspark is a global initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries during the next three years.
This companywide initiative includes programmes that empower youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education,
employment and entrepreneurship. Through Youthspark, Microsoft will dedicate the majority of its cash contributions to nonprofit organizations that serve the youth population around the world.
In addition, Microsoft Youthspark will include Office 365 for education, free technology tools for all teachers and students,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 43 A study looking at learning spaces and the influence of ICTS identifies six trends as the hallmark of the learning experience of and with ICTS:
and knowledge are key commodities. The chapter presents evidence from a range of programmes and activities aimed at exploring new opportunities for learning that capitalize on the characteristics of the knowledge society
and provide youth with spaces for engagement and creativity. The examples included in this chapter were chosen to show innovation and a variety of models
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 44 Figure 15: Story of Kelvin Doe Source:
and teaching is done, creating new opportunities and challenges for teachers and learners alike. Teachers can take on the role of expert-facilitators of learning,
New ways of interacting in the learning environment are also emerging. Three key trends are explored below:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 45 Figure 16: Blended learning and ICTS Source: Authors The blended learning process relies on digital environments called Learning Management Systems (LMS.
LMS enable the creation of a virtual classroom for the students, complete with lessons plans, discussion fora, grades, quizzes,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 46 Blended learning has gained popularity mostly in European and North american high schools, colleges and universities,
Nonetheless, a number of universities from the South have enhanced their distance education programmes by turning them into blended learning opportunities to reach migrant populations living abroad,
The African Virtual university is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization created with the mandate to increase access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
low productivity and low income. 151 The opportunities to learn in a selfdirected fashion are enormous.
Authors 151 International Labour Office, Apprenticeship in the Informal Economy in Africa,(Geneva: ILO, 2008.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 47 Prominent and emerging models of self-directed learning include open universities, open course ware (OCW), open educational resources (OER), and massive open online courses (MOOCS.
Coursera is a for-profit social enterprise that facilitates large-scale participation of students who sign up for free online courses with top universities around the world.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 48 Similar services continue to grow as universities
and other educational institutions seize the power of ICTS and adopt connectivist pedagogy principles156 to deploy free and open access to instructional material on the internet.
Moodle157, Udacity158, Edx159, Second Life160, among others. 7. 1. 3 Collaborative learning There are vast opportunities for youth to engage in collaborative
Hbr. org, June 26, 2012), http://blogs. hbr. org/cs/2012/06/let your ideas go. html. Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 49 Figure 18:
Social capital and collaborative/peer learning Source: Authors In the context of youth employment, it is important to consider the benefits that participating in collaborative learning can offer.
Collaborative learning events are opportunities for young people to learn ICTS (basic and advanced) as well as entrepreneurial skills.
thus collaborative learning offers networking opportunities that may lead to participants learning about jobs as well.
or develop skills is to have the opportunity to put them to use, preferably in a job situation.
civil society and international agencies offer training opportunities, internships, apprentice programmes, and mentoring. Several reports point to the importance of mentoring in learning
and skill development, finding that when youth Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 50 work alongside more experienced workers they acquire
Students are paired with a mentor/s and given exposure to real-world software development scenarios and the opportunity for employment.
allows these places to offer a rich environment for learning, collaboration and co-creation. 164 See reports by the European Youth Forum (2008);
Civil society organizations Tech Industry (private sector) Governments (public sector) Educational institutions Opportunities to work and learn on the job Digital opportunities:
Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 51 A report prepared for the European commission in 2008 predicted some of these changes by arguing that the emergence
A co-working space is shared a work environment where members have access to facilities such as a desk, meeting space, office equipment, kitchen and other amenities.
As such, they may offer programmes such as incubation services, hackathons, pitch fests, job boards, and contests that cater directly to the technology community.
People join for the opportunity to meet like-minded people, share ideas, and learn from other members.
and business incubator in Nairobi that was started in March, 2010 by Erik Hersman, Cofounder of Ushahidi.
The ihub provides a space where young entrepreneurial members can receive mentorship, internet connectivity and the possibility of venture funding through connections with the international venture capital community.
and part incubator. Since it was founded, the ihub has generated over 30 start-up companies, held over 120 events,
launched a number of initiatives from research to a tech incubator, engaged with the university community,
the ihub has created an ecosystem that connects people and fosters entrepreneurship. Website: www. ihub. co. ke 7. 3. 2 Hacker/maker spaces Another type of space is the hackerspace, or makerspace.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 52 7. 4 Repositories, games and mobile resources Using online channels to learn
These repositories are the creation of individual organizations as well as broader initiatives, representing both public and private sectors.
and gives rise to multiple opportunities for expanding the scope and uses of game playing.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 53 7. 4. 3 Social media Social media are used extensively for learning as well.
entrepreneurship training. 170 As described elsewhere in this report, private and public entities have stepped up to offer mobile learning programs in numerous languages across all continents.
and dedication being directed to the potential of mobile phones to vastly expand learning opportunities, especially for those in developing countries. 171 Mobile learning is still in its infancy,
it is the proliferation of data-enabled phones (smart phones) that offers the greatest opportunities for mobile learning.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 54 There is an opportunity for public access points, such as telecentres, libraries,
and cybercafés to combine the portability of smart phones with the broader functionality of personal computers.
though they also reported a desire for these places to institute services that would leverage their mobiles as well. 172 7. 5 Certification The certification process is a verification of competencies
Technology & Social Change Group, University of washington Information School, 2012), www. globalimpactstudy. org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Public-access-private-mobile-final. pdf. 173 Microsoft
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 55 The European Computer Driving Licence is an international computer skills certification programme.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 56 Figure 20: How Open Badges work Source:
employment, and entrepreneurship. The examples are the result of a combination of factors: deliberate, and in some cases unanticipated, multi-sectoral (governments, private sector,
and civil society) investments; supportive policy environments, and; partnerships across sectors to spur innovation, economic growth and employment.
International agencies have played a vital role by bringing attention to the urgent needs of youth,
and convening governments and other stakeholders to set a global agenda and advocate for strategies to address the situation. 175 Mozilla Open Badges, www. openbadges. org/about. 176 Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-general's Message for 2012:
International Youth Day, UN. org, www. un. org/en/events/youthday/2012/sg. shtml. Digital opportunities:
Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 57 This chapter looks at the role of governments in advancing policies, programmes and strategies for youth employment and entrepreneurship.
It is concerned especially with the school to work transition, an important period in the lives of youth.
and entrepreneurship opportunities. 8. 1 ICTS in education The opportunities for learning and innovating with ICTS are immeasurable,
However, despite significant investments, formal educational systems continue to face challenges in preparing youth with the ICT-related skills they need to succeed.
traditional models of education are not adequately preparing students to meet the demands of a changing job market. 177 The report emphasizes that formal education remains the primary vehicle for improving the supply of skills needed for driving innovation,
infodev, Information and Communication Technology for Education in India and South Asia,"(Infodev. org, June 4, 2010), www. infodev. org/en/Publication. 876. html. 181
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 58 programmes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Pakistan,
187 a comprehensive policy-driven national programme designed to facilitate the construction of new learning environments
and the generation of an adequate context for Uruguay's children to be able to answer to the demands of the information and knowledge-based society. 188 This programme aims to mainstream ICTS in the classroom,
Information and Communication Technology for Education in India and South Asia; OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012: 486;
A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women (Geneva: ITU, 2012). 186 ITU, Measuring the Information Society 2012 (Geneva:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 59 8. 2 ICT skill development in non-formal educational settings The examples from Uruguay and Estonia fall within the formal education systems.
These are need opportunities governments to pay attention to and support as they have shown to be fertile sites for innovation and learning.
health services. Representatives discussed and prioritized needs, and then launched hackathons (such as the Summer of code with support from Google) to develop apps for these two systems.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 60 At the same time, it is important for governments to recognize the growth
and investments are designed to attract students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Similar programmes are emerging in developing countries.
An open dialogue between governments and the private sector can help overcome issues related to coordination of investments in skills development and education.
and Cisco Apprenticeship to offer high school graduates three-year apprenticeship opportunities with CISCO. 199 In Jordan the Ministry of Social Development is responsible for a programme designed to provide marginalized youth with training
and job opportunities in private sector institutions. Youth gain real work experience and on-the-job training through this programme. 200 In Malaysia, the Penang Skills Development Centre
Technology Outlook for Singaporean K-12 Education 2012-2017.197 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women; World bank, World Development Report 2013:
A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women; see also Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC), www. psdc. org. my/.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 61 Another area for government-private sector partnership is job placement.
and also have the opportunity to study part-time. After completing the programme, participants are expected to find jobs on their own.
Often, when businesses offer apprenticeships, internships or any other form of on-the-job-training opportunity, they limit their commitment to the duration of the programme.
The areas where ICT-savvy professionals can be absorbed are growing as shown in chapters 4 and 5 describing trends and opportunities in macro sectors as health, agriculture,
as well as in a vast array of emerging areas from microwork to green jobs to accessibility solutions for persons with disabilities. 8. 5 Policies to support youth entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship has become a policy priority
Whether driven by necessity or opportunity, entrepreneurs need support to succeed. This is especially true for young entrepreneurs who have less social and financial capital, smaller business networks,
and less experience. Government programmes and policies can create favourable conditions to launch and sustain youth entrepreneurship initiatives.
Examples of strategies that have proven effective include: Develop a culture of entrepreneurship by providing appropriate training that encompasses innovation, personal development, leadership and practical business skills.
Ensure training opportunities can be accessed through formal and non-formal channels. Ensure access to business, legal and related information to help new entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business development.
Simplify business registration processes. Provide financial incentives for new entrepreneurs, such as: access to low interest capital through loans or credit;
seed funding; grants; reduced tariffs and taxes; reduced cost for licences and registrations, and; financial advice.
Also provide access to microcredit without need for collateral. Financial assistance should be complemented with mentorship
and offer mentorship opportunities for youth to learn from more experienced business people. For instance, chapter 7 mentioned workshops, conferences,
and competitions that bring together investors, business people, and government representatives. Such activities help entrepreneurs to build networks,
identify business opportunities and seek financial investments. Promote and support collaborative innovation spaces, including co-working spaces, tech hubs, business incubators,
and hacker/maker spaces. These spaces offer vibrant locales for apps development and other activities
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 62 Foster innovation through contests and competitions. This can be accomplished by partnering with other actors such as donor agencies, corporate businesses,
and NGOS, and can be organized at the national or regional level. Stimulate the production of local content
Use government procurement to purchase products and services from entrepreneurs and small companies. 9 Conclusion The transformations taking place around youth
and entrepreneurship are characterized by rapid change and innovation. Mainstream economic sectors from agriculture to healthcare are witnessing an explosion of new ICT-enabled applications,
and generating new opportunities for entrepreneurs developing ICT products and services for these sectors. Beyond these sectors, the internet itself is responsible for making possible new opportunities that have generated livelihoods for millions of people.
Crowdsourcing, microwork, app development, and other emerging income generating activities owe their existence to global internet expansion that continues to connect more and more of the world's population.
Seizing these opportunities requires the right skills and knowledge. Which skills are needed for which jobs however is not straightforward.
such skills are insufficient for many of the new opportunities described in this report. Depending on the area,
these new opportunities require one or more of several other abilities in such areas as information seeking, communication, collaboration, content production, multimedia creation, web design, security and privacy
Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires business skills as well, such as operations and management, finance, marketing, communications, research,
Fortunately, the market has responded with a multitude of new opportunities for people to learn different types of skills
and new entrants are continuously introducing new products and services. Advances in mobile learning are opening new doors.
Indeed, some of the greatest opportunities may be realized by combining online and offline activities. Youth are suited ideally to take advantage of these opportunities.
In general they are naturally comfortable with technology and operating in online environments, adept at absorbing new concepts and skills,
and capable of seeing new possibilities. Youth are the heaviest users of most digital technologies, Digital opportunities:
Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 63 and have driven the explosive expansion of social media and other web 2. 0 applications.
It is these new applications that have underpinned many of the new job and entrepreneurial opportunities.
and positioned to seize new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities? The report has outlined a number of strategies pertaining to the role of government.
Policies and programmes to support entrepreneurship require another level of dedication. This ranges from creating favourable conditions for start-ups such as ease of business registration and access to low-interest loans,
to direct support for such initiatives as innovation spaces and incubators to attract creative talent. Community organizations also have an important role to play in equipping youth with the relevant skills and connecting them to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Telecentres, libraries, community technology centres and other places that offer computer resources, internet connectivity, and space for group activity are positioned ideally to implement programmes that will provide youth with the skills
and experience they need to pursue these opportunities. They represent a non-formal channel for learning,
and otherwise provide an environment that facilitates learning. While selfdirected youth can take advantage of online programmes on their own,
and support governments in implementing youth employment and entrepreneurship strategies, while development agencies and foundations can provide financial support and expertise.
All stakeholders in the ecosystem international organizations governments, development agencies, private industry, nonprofit organizations, and foundations have important roles to play to realize greater opportunities for youth.
Doing so requires that stakeholders embrace the innovative process: be open to experimentation, ensure robust feedback systems are in place to learn from successes
and failures, be nimble to change direction as needed and incorporate new technological advances, not seek a one-size-fits-all model (it doesn't exist),
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Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 69 Glossary Accelerators For-profit incubator that support start-ups with funding and other services in exchange for equity.
Affordances of the web Refers to properties of a web site's user interface that allows the easy discovery of possible actions.
Crowdfunding The collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the internet, to support an entrepreneur's business.
Customer relationship management (CRM) The management of an organization's interactions with its customers, typically involving technology.
Enterprise resources management (ERM) A business method that addresses an organization's relationships with all of its constituencies (customers, partners, suppliers, employees, etc..
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 70 HTML Hypertext markup language (HTML) is the main markup language for creating web pages
Incubators Programs that support start-ups through business support services and resources. Information technology Outsourcing (ITO) Refers to the outsourcing of computer or internet related work, such as programming.
Knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) Refers to the outsourcing of information-intensive activities such as market research, legal services, and patent applications.
or certifications Pitch fests Events where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to potential investors Powerleveling Using the help of another,
Venture capital Financial capital invested in start-up companies. Web 2. 0 Websites that allow users to interact,
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
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