Enter the Optus Future Makers World Vision Challenge

Monday, May 8, 2017

World Vision, Australia’s largest humanitarian agency, is calling on Australia’s innovators to find digital solutions to the global youth job crisis with the launch of a $20,000 Optus Future Makers World Vision Challenge.

World Vision CEO, Claire Rogers announced the challenge today which will be run in partnership with the Optus Future Makers Challenge.

 “World Vision is on the hunt for smart, scalable tech ideas to help prepare young people to be job-ready to better access job opportunities,” Ms Rogers said.

“The jobs market is changing dramatically – especially due to globalisation and technology. According to a US study, around 65% of the jobs available in 10 years’ time don’t yet exist. That’s a mind-blowing statistic.”

The information gap is one of the biggest challenges facing young job-seekers, especially in the context of disadvantage, she said.

“There’s a lack of reliable labour market information both here and in developing nations. How do you vet employers? How do you know when a job opportunity is legitimate? We need to identify these gaps and find ways to get young people the information and skills they need. because we know that jobs get people out of long-term poverty.”

An estimated one billion young people will enter the global labour market over the next ten years.

“This is the largest generation of young people in history to be seeking work; solutions to the youth jobs crisis are crucial,” says Ms Rogers.  “The World Bank estimates that 600,000 million jobs need to be created over the next decade; a huge percentage of these will need to be in developing countries.”

World Vision and Optus are calling out social entrepreneurs, not-for-profits, start-ups and social enterprises to submit innovative technology ideas to the Optus Future Makers World Vision Challenge, by midnight Friday, May 19, 2017.  http://www.optus.com.au/about/sustainability/community-grants/world-vision-challenge

Entering the labour force is a critical life transition, but too often young people are impacted by high unemployment, underemployment, and working poverty, which can result in a vicious circle of intergenerational poverty, Ms Rogers said.

 “This problem is compounded by social disadvantage, where a lack of opportunity or support leaves young people without work-relevant skills, experience and connections for transitioning to the workforce.

Ms Rogers says that as World Vision CEO, and in her previous role as the ANZ’s Head of Digital Banking, she has seen how innovative applications of technology can solve problems in unexpected and imaginative ways.

“We’re looking for bold ideas that will have real impact,” Claire Rogers said. “World Vision Australia already does significant work in large-scale youth employment projects in countries such as Palestine, Uganda, and Cambodia.

“We want to build on this experience to scale up solutions that might be out there, hence the decision to partner with Optus to create the Future Maker Challenge and the requirement that applicants must have a basic prototype to support their idea.”

The successful applicant will receive a grant of $20,000, and access to the Optus Future Makers Program, with advice on how to develop a business case and pitch for funding, as well as practical support. The successful applicant will have access to the Optus Accelerator Program which runs between July and October, followed by the chance to pitch to a panel of expert judges for a share of a $300,000 prize pool.

“In addition to having access to the Optus Future Makers program, World Vision will offer the successful applicant the opportunity to attend a bespoke workshop with World Vision’s Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (SEED) technical specialists and Corporate Strategy team,” Ms Rogers said. “Our field experts understand the employment challenges facing people in developing communities, and will work with the winner to build their knowledge of those needs.”

 

For more information on the Optus Future Makers World Vision challenge, visit http://www.optus.com.au/about/sustainability/community-grants/world-vision-challenge

 

For media interviews contact Leah Swann: 0421 857 501.

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