Deadline: 18 June 2020
The Good Jobs & Inclusive Entrepreneurship Challenges is presented with the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy’s (IDE) Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC).
Automation, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies continue to rapidly transform the nature of work. While the net impact of these transformations remains uncertain, workers are contending with three undeniable trends: some jobs are disappearing; other jobs are precarious, with social safety nets and benefits disappearing in favor of contract and freelance work; and many jobs require a changing set of skills. In particular, low-skilled, informal, and migrant workers are most at risk of being displaced through the technological transformations of work.
On the other hand, these transformations present remarkable opportunities for new jobs and new businesses, but only for those equipped with the appropriate skills, resources, and networks. The same countries where workers are struggling to keep or find good jobs also experience skills shortages and unfilled vacancies.
This makes it essential to up skill and retrain workers to enable them to match employer demand or start their own venture. Further, when two-thirds of jobs worldwide are created by small and medium-sized businesses, supporting those traditionally underserved with access to capital, networks, and in-demand skills is key to creating opportunity and good jobs for entire communities.
The MIT Solve community is looking for technology-based solutions that spur good jobs and inclusive entrepreneurial opportunities. To that end, Solve seeks solutions that:
- Enable small and new businesses, especially in untapped communities, to prosper and create good jobs through access to capital, networks, and technology;
- Support workers to advocate for and access living wages, social safety nets, and financial security; and
- Equip workers with technological and digital literacy as well as the durable skills needed to stay apace with the changing job market.
Funding Information
Receive access to more than $1 million in prize funding for the 2020 Challenge.
Eligibility Criteria
- Anyone, anywhere around the world can submit a solution to Solve’s Challenges.
- You can be an individual, a team, or an organization.
- You can be an applicant from previous years or already part of the community.
For more, visit https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/good-jobs-and-inclusive-entrepreneurship
