Open innovation offers major opportunities for SMES, but they face particular issues and challenges in adapting to the new models.
Opportunities to improve the innovation environment here are addressed in our recommendations below. 3) Business renewal in SMES taking risky business ideas based on novel business models, technology-based inventions, service models
Rec 5. 1) b. Experimenting with European Sandboxes novel value chain-based approaches that provide innovation-driven SMES with opportunities to experiment with new solutions at European scale in a controlled manner.
a. Consolidating into one administrative unit for instance EASME the leadership for practical programme communications for all Horizon 2020 opportunities for SMES
The market opportunities for SMES are huge. For instance, General electric forecasts that embedding Internet technologies into machines could add $10-$15 trillion in economic growth worldwide over the next 20 years. 3 The quest for resource efficiency will become an increasingly important driver,
This creates opportunities far beyond the obvious sectors, such as energy, transport and smart cities, and will affect every citizen and business.
Consultation on Next EU Strategic Work Programme 2016-2017 6 All of these global challenges present major new business opportunities for SMES,
The scale of the opportunity is not in doubt: SMES'ability to respond to these challenges,
while also creating opportunities within Europe. In business-to-business (B2b) sectors, increased international competition means firms have to address global markets
On the other hand, the growth of niche and additive manufacturing is creating opportunities for manufacturing SMES and suppliers within European markets and for investors.
Open innovation offers major opportunities for SMES. Open innovation is becoming an important tool in innovation development for SMES
For research-intensive SMES, open innovation processes provide new opportunities to license IPR instead of having to develop them into own products and services.
Acknowledgement of asymmetric information however, also encourages entrepreneurs to search for new business opportunities, leading them to an ever more detailed picture of demand and supply.
and gives birth to entrepreneurial opportunities. High costs of adaptation: Some innovations that are technologically superior fail to break through
The EAG has had the opportunity to discuss relevant issues with them and shares their analysis and views on key points.
The potential impact of public funding on an investment case is illustrated in Box 2. It shows that business cases which were impossible to fund suddenly become attractive investment opportunities.
Investors would recognise promising opportunities and flock around the companies concerned. This risk reduction aspects needs to be communicated much more clearly.
and that offer good short term returns over longer term development opportunities. In order to increase companies'chances of securing external investment,
but also for the companies concerned, allowing the start-up to offer itself as a‘verified business opportunity'.
New support actions or other instruments could be setup specifically to make screened and qualified investment opportunities visible and easy accessible for the investment community.
and is an opportunity to demonstrate what has been achieved. The Commission should plan a positive, high-profile event for autumn 2014 showcasing some of the first successful applicants,
Hence, it is important to balance supplyside measures to push innovation with demand-side measures that drive innovation development by providing market opportunities
Experiment with novel value chain-based approaches European Sandboxes that provide innovation-driven SMES with opportunities to experiment with new solutions at European scale in a controlled manner.
and supported in order to multiply their experiences, especially around international opportunities. Recommendation 5. 4: Provide focused support for business incubation
and acceleration programmes for startups and innovation-driven SMES, including on the opportunities and challenges of commercializing innovation in the international context.
rather than those companies exploiting disruptive business opportunities. Thus, in relying on themes/technology-defined structures to the exclusion of other, more open,
Certain areas represent special opportunities because of the need for solutions: it is recommended not to convert these areas into new and narrow‘themes'.
however, navigating their way through the maze of programmes to identify opportunities and schemes of relevance to their needs presents a major challenge.
Our concerns over the budget available for communication activities and the opportunity to benchmark communication efforts against national innovation agencies have already been noted in relation to the SME Instrument
Consolidate into one administrative unit for instance EASME the leadership for practical programme communications for all Horizon 2020 opportunities for SMES
Such activities should be observed based on discrepancies between MS policies, new opportunities or existing blind spots. This would help to define topics for‘Innovation in SMES'.
Though the new technology creates far-reaching opportunities it also brings substantial challenges. For example, the universities provide a common physical space for a diverse group of students to interact in the real world
supporting of entrepreneurship supporting growth opportunities of SMES supporting of RDI activities and research and innovation investment of firms;
An untapped opportunity has been so far the start-up ecosystem (e g. incubation and support available for knowledge and technology-intensive start-ups) that started to grow in the past few years.
although there would be opportunities to lower the red tape.()-Underdeveloped early stage investment opportunities, slowly growing (pre) seed capital market and low number of business angels(-)Risk taking is generally low among population
and Hungarians have a rather risk-averse culture. No public measure in place to promote willingness to take risk.(+
measures of the Economic Development Operational Programme (GOP) provided significant funding opportunities for SMES(+)large number of SMES got support from SF for their development activities(-)SMES would require more funding support
and important opportunities may be missed. Budding entrepreneurs, daunted by burdensome regulations, may opt out of doing business altogether or,
Doing Business provides a rich opportunity for benchmarking by capturing key dimensions of regulatory regimes.
This can prompt discussions of regulatory reform across different levels of government, providing opportunities for local governments
Second, this choice reflects the focus of Doing Business on expanding opportunities for entrepreneurship: investors are encouraged to venture into business
and provide borrowers with more opportunities to obtain credit. Their availability enables lenders that would otherwise not be capable of analyzing the raw credit data to extend credit to underserved markets at lower cost.
limiting opportunities for corruption and preventing the loss, destruction or concealment of court records. In Singapore the judiciary launched an electronic litigation system designed to streamline the litigation process
Doing Business 2015 Going Beyond Efficiency Starting a business The growing efficiency of company registries Entrepreneurs should have the opportunity to turn their ideas into a business.
Electronic registration and online services substantially reduce the opportunities for bribery and other forms of corruption.
Using online registration services also greatly reduces the opportunities for corruption and bribery. Where entrepreneurs have need no to interact directly with public officials
however, the new law represented an opportunity to save time and money and to get access to the growing amount of funding that the Chilean government was investing in business start-ups.
it can also reduce the opportunities for corruption and bribery associated with business start-up processes.
as the latest information and communication technologies spread around the world, low-income economies will find a broader range of opportunities to adopt good practices used in higher-income economies,
and the opportunities for fraud. 4 It also increases the vulnerability of the records to political instability, poor climate conditions, natural disasters or such incidents as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871,
and provide borrowers with more opportunities to obtain credit. The availability of credit scores allows lenders that would otherwise not be capable of analyzing the raw credit data to extend credit to underserved markets at lower cost.
The results suggest that there is opportunity in many economies to improve reorganization proceedings, facilitate the continuation of businesses during insolvency
Opportunities for Entrepreneurs through Improved Regulations. WASHINGTON DC: World bank..2014c. World Development Indicators 2014. WASHINGTON DC: World bank..
and opening opportunities for new companies and industries it could be Creative and cultural industries Knowledgeintensive business services Labourintensive industries Life science Tourism & Hospitality Transport & distribution Other Austria
and how a business can realise its potential across a spectrum of digital opportunities by building on the way it currently uses digital technologies
and leveraging the opportunities of the digital single market. 1. Increase industry digital transformation. Increase the take-up
and growth opportunities of the future. 15 Figure 4 Objectives The analysis in this paper is oriented around the above five pillars.
and creating opportunities for scale VISION Policy background 16 Barriers and challenges It is an unusual,
This is an opportunity for digital technologies to truly help elevate business performance. Governments and policy makers are recognising the important role of digital in the economy
and citizens to exploit the opportunities provided by digital technologies more intensively than is currently possible.
which gives university graduates with promising business ideas the opportunity to start a business, supported by corporate mentoring,
It also suggests to analyse the opportunity of giving qualified third-country entrepreneurs a permit to allow them to set up a business in Europe.
and more attractive for non-EU national students and researchers to stay in the EU and to identify job opportunities
The legal and regulatory framework currently leaves too much opportunity for fragmentation and does not always take into account new and alternative financing sources like crowdsourcing. 31 Traditional financing sources such as bank loans
resulting in a European legal and regulatory framework leaving too much opportunity for fragmentation and 18 Massolution (2013).
and the start-up scene has been key to improve the entrepreneurial climate Singapore The Singapore government has always been eager to seek for new growth opportunities To capture the potential of (digital) technologies
and create a vibrant start-up ecosystem that provides opportunities for local and foreign start-ups, investors, venture capitalists and talent,
and are a source of inspiration for (future) entrepreneurs Due to‘limited'internal market opportunities, Sweden is considered often as an excellent test market Additionally,
Providing more opportunities for students to gain additional skills through study or training abroad, and to encourage cross-border cooperation to boost higher education performance;
In order to respond to the fast pace of change in ICT and the appearance of new challenges and opportunities,
and growth Unleashing new business opportunities in the digital age Transfers of businesses Bankruptcy procedures
Digital technologies create new business opportunities for entrepreneurs. As indicated in the Commission Industrial Policy Communication,
and business environment supportive to timely payments in commercial transactions. 7. Help SMES to benefit more from the opportunities offered by the single market. 8. Promote the upgrading of skills in SMES
and all forms of innovation. 9. Enable SMES to turn environmental challenges into opportunities. 10.
but also in better services to customers, new market opportunities and better time to market. In the actions completed already,
This type of platform should bring together stakeholders with hands-on experience in their field of specialisation as well as entrepreneurs with specific ideas about opportunities fostering digital applications into sectors less digitally transformed.
in order to stimulate the use of open public data for the creation of new business opportunities and services.
open standards and open licences, has the potential to create enormous business opportunities. However, companies and entrepreneurs using open data need to be nurtured
Develop awareness campaigns among stakeholders and decision makers for the opportunities of crowdfunding. Support research on the impact of new forms of funding for entrepreneurs.
and are aimed at optimising the opportunities of the single market. ACTION 17 Monitor the evolution of digital entrepreneurship Establish a digital entrepreneurship scorecard and monitor the evolution of digital entrepreneurship across Member States:
-Emerging technological trends and their potential impact on business and new business opportunities. -The evolution of the digital entrepreneurial culture, the perception of and expectations from digital entrepreneurship.
in order to stimulate the use of open public data for the creation of new business opportunities and services.
but also open up opportunities for new companies in new industries. With a European economy, consisting of more than 60%of traditional, service-orientated companies
Employment and Competitiveness for SMES. 03an Opportunity Exists in Ireland to Change Mindsets about What it Means to Apply Design thinking Principles to Business Development
Rigour in pursuing opportunities that matchsignificant customer need and developing related products or services quickly,
While the application of design in this strategic way remains less developed in Ireland there is a real opportunity for Ireland's SMES
and recognising opportunities. The strategy must be supported by a shared vision across the organisation that defines the company direction
This critical starting point of the innovation process relies significantly on the thinking, practices and tools of design, related to opportunity identification, idea generation and selection.
identifying opportunities and generating new insights. Therefore, it is important that design-driven innovations are viewed not inisolation
A decision by a UK water supply company to use variable speed drives for the water pumping system presented an opportunity to Anord.
Anord identified a design opportunity and realised that if they could complete the job successfully,
The differentiating factor that design brings to their business is still opening up new opportunities particularly in continental Europe where major supermarkets are now looking for uniquely designed product to meet their customers'needs.
Business development strategies are created to identify the opportunities offered by a design approach and what steps are needed to implement the necessary changes.
This meeting offers an opportunity for companies to ask specific questions around design in relation to their own activity.
and offers participants an opportunity to work with experienced design mentors and professionals on their own design project.
The workshops also seek to provide businesses withthe opportunity to network with one another to discuss design-related issues and share good practice.
and offers participants an opportunity to work with experienced design mentors andprofessionals on their own small scale and group projects.
supporting businesses to translate information about their users into practical concepts and opportunities. 41norwegian Ministry of Tradeand Industry (2008-2009).
Identifying Opportunities: turning user insights into design concept; and Idea Clarification: using design methods and industry expertise to choosea concept to be developed and implementation.
This shift from products to services provides clear opportunities for service designers who can support manufacturers in realising their aims.
Ireland has an opportunity to begin this processand to move its SMES along the design ladder as Denmark did to a more strategic and developmental application of the design process.
In this way, the public service users and service providers will have the opportunity to provide feedback and participate in the development process.
and opportunities where the application of ehealth interoperability standards will improve patient safety and quality.
it is important to use the opportunity to work on those initiatives which can be progressed and which will result in fairly immediate benefits,
and health service delivery opportunities will be taken into account. 7. The standards proposed will ensure value for money
36 2digital Agenda for Germany The digital transformation is opening up a vista of opportunities for improving our economic vitality and quality of life,
we want to seize the opportunities that digitisation presents to strengthen Germany's role as an innovative and highly productive economy within the European union and across the globe.
and equal access to the opportunities afforded by digitisation, which open up new possibilities for action and participation,
Digitisation offers tremendous opportunities and potential for synergies to develop. Policymakers therefore must actively support this structural change
It is estimated that companies will improve their productivity by 30 percent with the transition to Industry 4. 0. The process that is to be set in motion with the Digital Agenda is intended to help Germany further exploit the opportunities presented in the areas of Industry 4. 0, 3d, smart services,
In the face of these challenges, we must work with all stakeholders in particular at a European level to formulate solutions that do not diminish the opportunities presented to all of us by digitisation.
Digitisation also gives everyone an opportunity to become part of the digital space. By contributing content, making information available or developing software, individuals play an active part in the digital world.
We must also ensure that the huge opportunities presented by the Internet and digitisation, in particular the new forms of communication and access to information they enable,
zzsupporting the digital transformation in the media and creative industries, opening up sizeable opportunities for new customer groups;
We are drafting an Intelligent Connections strategy to create additional opportunities for growth and efficiency through ICT in the education, energy, health, transport and administration primary industries.
Germany now has the opportunity to join the ranks of the leading global digital economies and increase the number of annual business start-ups from approximately 10,000 to 15,000 on an ongoing basis. We are stepping up our involvement with the advisory board Young Digital economy and supporting young innovative businesses and start-ups by:
and data protection. 4. Reconfiguring the workplace in the digital world The progressive digital transformation is creating new areas of activity and job opportunities.
and the scientific community to enable it to carry out a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of the opportunities
We want to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by digitally supported, working models based on flexible working hours and locations to help people reconcile 16 II.
we are eliminating practical obstacles to Open source Software (OSS) to promote equality of opportunity. 3. Ensuring secure government communication We will maintain
or the necessary skills to embrace the opportunities offered by these changes. We will therefore engage in debate with the greatest possible number of demographic groups to discuss how we want to live together with the digital transformation.
Digitisation also offers new opportunities in this area. The Federal government will support new ways of allowing citizens to become involved in helping each other using digital technology. 1. Engaging in greater dialogue with social groups Previously,
while also providing to information that was often previously difficult to access. zzwe are improving our citizens'opportunities to participate online.
and opportunities to participate and become empowered at local authority level, in industry associations, in voluntary and youth work, for men and women, people with disabilities and for all generations. 24 IV.
and quality assurance can help build more trust in the online environment. zzeveryday family life is also facing new opportunities and challenges as a result of the digital transformation.
for example, opportunities for better reconciling family and working lives on a partnership basis, new forms of political participation and fresh opportunities for men and women to enter atypical gender areas of activity
This development means that all citizens can availing of tremendous opportunities in the above areas for learning
In order to exploit the new opportunities for development and participation created by digitisation, the government, business sector and society must make concerted efforts to invest sustainably in education,
enhance and implement digital media opportunities to deliver high-quality education. 28 V. EDUCATION, SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
The Digitisation University Forum (Hochschulforum Digitalisierung) identifies opportunities for digitisation in universities and drafts recommendations for action. 4. Exploiting digitisation's potential for innovation To help innovations enjoy market success,
and targeting the existing potential of the German research landscape. zzstudies to carry out scientific analyses of the opportunities
and the opportunities for shaping and expressing opinions on the other The online provision of digital content
The exponential growth in data offers great opportunities for our knowledge society, but also presents us with new challenges for preserving this data.
At the same time, we want to optimise the opportunities offered by digitisation for our society and economy. zzwe will modernise
and civil liberties in the digital world and augment opportunities for democratic participation in the global communications network.
e l o p m e n t S e c t o r Report Digital opportunities:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment iii Lead authors: Chris Coward is the cofounder, Principal Research Scientist,
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.
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
Brahima Sanou Director Telecommunication Development Bureau Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment v Table of contents Page 1 Introduction...
15 4 New employment and entrepreneurship opportunities Emerging sectors...17 4. 1 Online job services and job matching...
34 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment vi Page 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support...
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.
and provide them with better opportunities for employment. Against this backdrop ongoing advances in information and communication technologies (ICTS) are transforming old sectors
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.
when the market is creating new opportunities for people with ICT skills, and people can go online
Many opportunities are untapped still largely, and policies and programmes are aligned not to take advantage of the possibilities.
Accordingly, the primary aim of this report is to spotlight emerging trends, focusing on new work opportunities, new skills,
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 created new job opportunities in both traditional and new industries. The primary focus of the report follows
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.
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.
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
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.
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,
Opportunity Entrepreneurs in the Informal Sector, 2009, http://works. bepress. com/mohammad amin/15.3 World bank World Development Report 2013:
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:
/Global-Unemployment-2011. aspx Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 6 Figure 3: Youth unemployment rates, by region Source:
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.
they are likely to lack the life skills required for formal employment as well as the social networks needed to obtain new opportunities.
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
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,
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:
-EU) & CIS East asia Southeast asia & the Pacific South Asia Latin america & the Caribbean Middle east North africa Sub-saharan africa Digital opportunities:
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.
there are growing opportunities to use ICTS to monitor them, track the interventions of numerous stakeholders in multiple processes,
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.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 14 Figure 6: Technology-enabled programmes, by purpose Source:
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
. 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.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 16 Firms or countries tend to follow any of the five following trajectories
This creates an opportunity for low-income countries to enter the knowledge economy. 2. Upgrading within the business process segment:
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.
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.
Lastly opportunities that green jobs may hold for youth are examined. 80 Vili Lehdonvirta and Mirko Ernkvist.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 18 4. 1 Online job services and job matching
and may lack the social networks to find out about work opportunities. Searching for informal sector jobs often occurs through word-of-mouth,
See also Jeff Howe, The Rise of Crowdsourcing (Wired, 2006), www. wired. com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds. html Digital opportunities:
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
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.
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,
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 22 Jobs in the app economy can be categorized as follows:
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.
These opportunities could be particularly strong in countries with large markets, rapidly increasing levels of user engagement and smartphone penetration as in Asia
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.
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.
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,
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
and environmental protection. 5 ICT employability skills What skills are required to take advantage of the opportunities described in this report?
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.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 31 Second, being digitally literate involves much more than having technical skills.
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;
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,
Becoming an entrepreneur is the result of a personal decision-making process that entails an assessment of opportunities
and competences. 131 Motivated people need the right set of skills to identify entrepreneurial opportunities
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
/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
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
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,
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
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 40 turn to crowdfunding as one of their primary sources of investment capital.
The 2012 event in Dubai offered nearly 400 entrepreneurs aged 18-25 from 77 countries the opportunity to showcase their ICT-based projects.
They attended training sessions focused on developing entrepreneurial skills, as well opportunities to network with ICT representatives in industry, governments, and academia.
mentoring and networking opportunities with local business leaders, and possibly investment directly from Oasis500. Since 2010, it has received 2 000 applications
/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
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,
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.
and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
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 activities aimed at exploring new opportunities for learning that capitalize on the characteristics of the knowledge society
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,
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.
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,
low productivity and low income. 151 The opportunities to learn in a selfdirected fashion are enormous.
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.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 48 Similar services continue to grow as universities
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:
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.
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
People join for the opportunity to meet like-minded people, share ideas, and learn from other members.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 52 7. 4 Repositories, games and mobile resources Using online channels to learn
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.
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.
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:
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.
and entrepreneurship opportunities. 8. 1 ICTS in education The opportunities for learning and innovating with ICTS are immeasurable,
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 58 programmes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Pakistan,
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.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 60 At the same time, it is important for governments to recognize the growth
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,
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,
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.
and offer mentorship opportunities for youth to learn from more experienced business people. For instance, chapter 7 mentioned workshops, conferences,
identify business opportunities and seek financial investments. Promote and support collaborative innovation spaces, including co-working spaces, tech hubs, business incubators,
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 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
Fortunately, the market has responded with a multitude of new opportunities for people to learn different types of skills
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,
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.
Community organizations also have an important role to play in equipping youth with the relevant skills and connecting them to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
and experience they need to pursue these opportunities. They represent a non-formal channel for learning,
and foundations have important roles to play to realize greater opportunities for youth. Doing so requires that stakeholders embrace the innovative process:
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 64 References Amin, Mohammad. Necessity vs. Opportunity Entrepreneurs in the Informal Sector. 2009. http://works. bepress. com/mohammad amin/15.
Ban Ki-moon. Secretary-general's Message for 2012: International Youth Day, UN. org, www. un. org/en/events/youthday/2012/sg. shtml.
"The Economic value of Opportunity Youth.""Washington, D c.:Corporation for National and Community Service and the White house Council for Community Solutions, 2012.
/Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 65 Hofer, Andrea-Rosalinde and Austin Delaney.""Shooting for the Moon:
Working Towards Sustainable Development Opportunities for Decent Work and Social Inclusion in a Green Economy.
A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women. Geneva: ITU, 2012.
The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework. Geneva: ITU, 2013 International Telecommunication Union.
Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods. Baltimore: International Youth Foundation, 2012. www. microsoft. com/enus/news/presskits/citizenship/docs/finalopp for action paper. pdf. Jenvey, Nicola.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 66 Johnson, Larry, Samantha Adams, and Michele Cummins.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 67 OECD. ICT Skills and Employment: New Competences and Jobs for a Greener and Smarter Economy.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 68 United nations Environment Programme. Transition to Green Economy Could Yield up to 60 Million Jobs.
New Frontiers and Opportunities in Work. ICT is Dramatically Reshaping the Global Job market. ICT Policy Notes, World bank, June 2012. http://documents. worldbank. org/curated/en/2012/06/17817177/new-frontiers-opportunitieswork-ict-dramatically-reshaping-global-job market.
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.
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 70 HTML Hypertext markup language (HTML) is the main markup language for creating web pages
or certifications Pitch fests Events where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to potential investors Powerleveling Using the help of another,
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011