[Sub ID 4416] Online platform for training and job opportunities (Webrecs)

Submission ID: 4416
Organisation name: Webrecs
Contact name: Mr Chris Robinson
State: NSW
Contact email: chrisr@webrecs.com.au

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers, Young parents, Young students at risk of long-term unemployment

What need or issue are you trying to address?
There are 3 fundamental requirements which need to be satisfied for one to have ongoing employment :
1. Desire to work (Motivation)
2. Ability to work (Skills)
3. Availability of suitable work (Availability) Without all 3 of these, any initiative to provide employment will fail. Most initiatives, especially those directed at people for whom welfare is their primary (often sole) income is the focus on one or two of these elements, but rarely all 3 together. And when done, it is usually in a dull, bureaucratic, prescriptive and unengaging manner. Motivation evaporates when one has to wait in queues or access multiple confusing forms all on the off-chance of some meaningless work to which one needs to travel for hours – from the very outset one becomes negatively disposed towards this “work” thing. And even if this is resolved, what work can a carer or student get which fits in with the schedule of studies or care ? And if that isn’t difficult enough, what if there just isn’t much work in the local area ?

Hard ask, how is it possible to address all of these issues SIMULTANEOUSLY. Well there is a way …

What is your idea?

Create an online “gaming”platform for mobile devices and computers to enable anyone (but particularly the target groups) to gain access to meaningful online and physical work, relevant training and a community/network. Work will be available to :
*Unskilled workers to perform tasks during spare moments for pay. Tasks like data keying, image tagging, data labeling and curation. Think Amazon Mechanical Turk, Crowdflower, Microsoft URHS or Google EWOK.

*Semi-skilled workers to perform more advanced tasks. Think achieving “Expert” or “Master” level on the above platforms plus introduction to the skilled platform below

*Skilled workers to perform more focussed, career and goal-oriented work. Tasks like web-design, web-site building, programming or physical work like construction, trades, office-work. Think E-lance, Freelancer, Jobsearch

Simultaneously there is built-in access to online training platforms to allow advancement from one level to the next, ultimately to vocational or even online university. Think Moodle, OLAT, ELMS or proprietory

And crucially, all of this in a manner which is similar to a computer game, where skills are collected and can be used to unlock more possibilities. The reward for the user is both in terms of cash (to what extent it is additional to welfare is debatable, my feeling is that it should be up to a limit to encourage work-ethic) and rating/skills/pedigree.

The platform also contains the ability for users to collaborate and interact, much like many online gaming platforms.