Kolorob

Using digital data to connect young people with better jobs in Bangladesh

Finding a job in a competitive market can be tough, especially if you come from a low-income background or you don’t have training. So, imagine trying to find a job in a mega city of 15 million people where most of the jobs available to you are informal, low paid and hazardous. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Save the Children has found a new way for young people to connect with job opportunities and training. We’ve developed an open-source digital app and website that is free to use, and that links young women and men with jobs that are safe, non-exploitative and properly paid – jobs that will give them a future.

Why opportunities for young people is important

In Bangladesh, a staggering 40% of young people do not work or study. When 20% of the population are aged 15­–24, that equates to a lot of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The majority live in dense urban slums within the mega city of Dhaka. Without proper work or opportunities, their future is one of poverty and social exclusion.

Young people who do work are often engaged in ‘informal work’ – 95% are employed in hazardous jobs where they might be paid less than USD $1.9 per day and forced to work long hours.

Giving young people in low-income communities access to formal work with ethical employers makes life more promising for some of the poorest people in one of the most crowded cities in the world.

Save the Children's Kolorob Jobs initiative

Kolorob Jobs is an open-source web and mobile application that enables young people to transition out of dangerous and exploitative jobs, onto career pathways in the formal sector.

The app uses participatory design and lists ethical employers with jobs that suit users. On their digital device – increasingly common in even the lowest-income communities – users can apply for jobs using their own search criteria. Kolorob Jobs also allows young people to find training opportunities and match those opportunities with the job market.

How we know we're making a difference

By organising the job market, young people can make positive changes and seek out opportunities. They have better prospects, can link with ethical employers, and can become agents of social change to benefit their entire community.

Kolorob Jobs is innovation with impact for young people who experience some of the biggest barriers to changing their lives. It was a winner in MIT’s 2017 Solve Challenge, and it’s housed in the existing Kolorob App – another Save the Children initiative. Kolorob App has digitally mapped more than 2,000 businesses and services that were previously ignored by commercial online maps, connecting low-income communities with services in their area.

Who makes this program possible

This program is funded by the Australian Government. Through the government’s overseas aid program, Australians are providing children and young people in Bangladesh and around the world with the chance to achieve a brighter future. Find out more about how Australian Aid is changing lives here.

Kolorob Jobs is also supported by MIT SOLVE, Western Sydney University, Seek International and BDJobs.

Banner image: Save the Children Bangladesh