Gig Economy 

As Millennials lead the sharing economy around the world, and Generation Z begins to join the workforce, it has become more crucial than ever, to support the expansion and skills development of freelancers and independent contractors in developing economies. Job creation is no longer about creating full-time employment opportunities only but also finding “gig” jobs and freelance assignments for those who like to enjoy flexible working hours.

In developing markets, part-time, consulting, and the so-called “gig jobs” are limited and less familiar as options for recruitment. These challenges call freelancers to look beyond the local market to find suitable profit-generating contracts. Nevertheless, the skills and capabilities of these freelancers and individual contractors might need to be improved first to enhance and elevate their global competitiveness.

One of Leaders International’s strategies in coping with the new economics of employment is bolstering the talent pool by integrating international quality standards into skills development schemes. Leaders International, through its partners and vast network of experts, have developed the capacity of hundreds of freelancers to secure profitable contracts at the global level.

Education for Economic Growth

The workers and innovators of tomorrow are created today. Skilful employees, experts, and entrepreneurs in the workforce market have all started their career journeys as university students. The level of education and the culture they experience during their studies determine the level of creativity and innovation they can later add to the labour market. 

In developing countries, the traditional education system and the conventional methods of conducting business pose real limitations to generating disruptive ideas, providing quality services, and competing at an international scale. Before graduates can head to the market as freelancers, entrepreneurs, or employees, they have to acquire the right skill set, global outlook, exposure, and entrepreneurial mindset. That is why Leaders International, through its partners in academia and advocacy efforts, integrates the principles of innovation into the curricula of different university subjects. 

Livelihoods

Armed conflicts and the increasing immigration of the workforce between countries in the Middle East and North Africa is adding to the region’s economic burdens. The burden is reciprocal, in which one country loses its skilled labour and the other hosts more workforce that it can employ. Countries like Jordan has assumed a great responsibility to provide essential services to refugees and facilitate their livelihoods development through work permits. According to UNHCR, Jordan issued hundreds of thousands of work permits for Syrian refugees in the past few years, which called for more economic interventions to control the competition between refugee workers and Jordanian workers

While unemployment continues to be an intractable problem, SMEs and startups offer the most significant opportunities for job creation when compared to large enterprises or the public sector. Leaders International relishes this opportunity to develop the capacity of SMEs to employ more immigrants and specifically women-headed households. On the other hand, it builds the capacity of immigrants and promotes their employability in the region.

We work closely with all actors of development to minimise the skills gap between refugees’ capacities and SMEs recruitment needs. We do so without compromising the employability of the local workforce or jarring social cohesion between immigrants and host communities, which will ultimately improve the livelihoods of both.