CrowdSolving for the Workforce of the Future

What do Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, Laurene Powell Jobs, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Atlassian Foundation International, and Yo-Yo Ma all have in common? Keep reading.

On May 8-10, 2017, Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), convened over 350 leaders from the technology, business, non-profit, government, and academia sectors to “CrowdSolve” global challenges at our annual flagship event, Solve at MIT. During the event, we announced Solve’s new Learning challenge for the 2017 cycle: How can disadvantaged youth learn the skills they need to prepare them for the workforce of the future and thrive in the 21st Century? 

Today’s generation of young people now face a world in which nearly half of today’s jobs globally—around 2 billion—are at risk of becoming obsolete due to automation and technological advancement in the coming decades. The ability to acquire new skills throughout life, to adapt, and to work flexibly will be of particular importance. So too will be technical, social, and critical thinking skills. To address this challenge, Solve is seeking innovative solutions to guarantee disadvantaged young people under 24 from low socio-economic (income, wealth, and education) backgrounds are equipped with 21st century skills and prepared for the workforce of the future. 

This challenge, co-chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan and Laurene Powell Jobs of Emerson Collective, is looking for your ideas or existing projects that develop innovative learning technologies, new education models and concepts, solutions to ensure equal access and inclusion to education, and tools and strategies to foster entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and adaptability.

The most promising solutions submitted to this challenge will be awarded up to $2 million in grant funding out of a prize partnership between the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Atlassian Foundation International—who each pledged $1 million to invest in our next class of Learning Solver teams. Selected innovators who submit creative solutions which connect disadvantaged youth’s passion for the arts and culture to 21st century skills will also have the opportunity to receive mentorship from critically acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Are you up to the challenge? Submit your innovative solution here by August 1, 2017. Happy Solving!