Competition for job creation ideas

Policymakers around the world are looking for practical solutions to expand job creation and improve job opportunities. This led to the Jobs Knowledge Platform (JKP) that aims to:

• Share insights and build synergies across different approaches, sectors, and disciplines
• Create a community to exchange challenges and solutions
• Inform important policy debates

The Jobs Knowledge Platform is managed by the World Bank in collaboration with partner organizations the Economic Research Forum, Fedesarrollo, the International Development Research Centre, the IZA the Institute for the Study of Labor, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association, the McKinsey Global Institute, and REALM/AMERU.

In addition to a series of events, the JKP has a website that enables analysts, policymakers, and the broader public to communicate and learn through a variety of online features. All focused around a set of key debates, the interactive tools include:

1. Influence

The Working Wiki: Users of the JKP can add, edit, and rate contributions to this crowd-sourced report on jobs and job creation. It will be shared during the World Bank Annual Meetings with top policy makers from around the world.

• The Jobs and Development Blog: A range of high-level experts offer their views on key jobs topics. Users can comment on blog posts and rate them.
• The Conversation: The Conversation allows users to upload their own video commentaries, adding their voice on targeted topics and questions concerning jobs.

2. Learn

• Data Page: Using the World Bank’s open source data, JKP users can access regional and country dashboards displaying tables and graphs with the latest data and trends on Jobs.
• The Digest: This searchable, ratable media archive helps users find jobs ideas in books, press clips, scholarly articles, and videos.
• World of Labor: This online repository will offer 100 practical notes summarizing key debates on labor policy.

3. Experience

• Experiences from the Field: Structured as a competition, Experiences from the Field showcases successful projects, creating a searchable database where practitioners and participants can exchange ideas. Winners will be featured at the World Bank Annual Meetings in October 2012.
• Events: Users can search this listing for JKP-sponsored and other events. They can also submit their own events for inclusion

The youth are encouraged to submit a project aimed at creating jobs and improving employment opportunities. The contest entries feed into a searchable database, encouraging an active exchange of ideas. 

An award of $5000 is being granted in three categories:

• Most Promising Approach
• Most Recommended
• Best in Addressing Political Economy and Implementation Challenges

For Most Recommended, the JKP community can vote using the “rate” feature. A committee made up of members of the JKP partner organizations will select winners for the other two categories.
Winners will be announced Fall 2012.

Please visit www.jobsknowledge.org for more information.