WiseNxt pitch

Educaship pitch is a sales pitch that The Economic Group (hereinafter, #The Pitcher) develops, sustains, and markets in order to attract educational partners (hereinafter, the Partners) into development of introductory work experience, career options, and guided entrances to the labour market for their students in Kenya.

CNMCyber Team (hereinafter, #We), which is a group of #The Pitcher's volunteers, oversees the development on #The Pitcher's side.

Business needs

In Kenya, business needs of #The Pitcher include building resources for Kenyan youth that enters the workforce. According to "Youth Employment Initiatives in Kenya. Report of a Review Commissioned by the World Bank and Kenya Vision 2030",

Kenya faces a significant unemployment problem with youth being hit hardest. The high unemployment is related to the overall investment climate in the country and the economy’s low capacity to create new jobs. But youth find it particularly difficult to enter the labour market. Reasons for this are complex. They range from deficits in education and skills to lack of work experience, difficulties to obtain information about career options and job chances, irrational recruitment practices of employers, and the lack of necessary assets and attitudes to become self-employed. (Source: https://vision2030.go.ke/publication/youth-employment-initiatives-in-kenya/)

In the nutshell

For 11+ years, #The Pitcher has been developing services for those who are thinking about careers and looking for jobs to begin with. Two services, commercial #Careerprise and free-of-charge #CNMCyber, are designed for adults. The signature service for high-school students is called #iDosvid, which means "and experience" in Ukrainian. The service was originally expected to be launched in Ukraine; however, because of the war there, the launch was postponed.

#iDosvid features artificial intelligence, introductory training, and workplace sandboxes to deliver vocational orientation and work experience to participating students. Its backbone is job-alike practice, in which the students explore various occupations to find the best match. Until target occupations are identified, the students can organize meetings, develop IT, operate clouds, and coordinate cyber endeavors that would benefit the public good.

While being placed in the drivers' seats of modern technology, the students start their professional experience and earn industry credentials. That was why the service was named "And experience" at the first place. Equally importantly, that practice may reveal or, at least, suggest professional aspirations of the students. #The Pitcher envisions to use its results for their vocational orientation.

To complete #iDosvid's development, #The Pitcher would like to deploy the DevOps model. The students would test the available products during one session and, based on that testing, new products would be developed until the next session.

Such development requires participating students. Therefore, #The Pitcher is now looking for partners, most likely, high schools or whatever else that can bring a sizeable number of school-age participants to #iDosvid or its limited scope version called #WorldOpp Career Camp.

To the partnership, #The Pitcher brings introductory training, workplace sandboxes, supporting technology, and limited financing. From the partners, #The Pitcher expects their expertise and participants.

30-second pitch

We at #CNMCyber welcome high schools as partners to provide their students with introductory work experience, career options, and guided entrances to the labour market. The students are to explore various occupations, find the best match, and earn industry credentials. To the partnership, we bring introductory training, workplace sandboxes, supporting technology, and limited financing. We expect that our partners would contribute their expertise and student participation. If interested, educaship.com/schools shall get you started.

Learning sequence we use

The #Products we are to market utilize the first three stages of WorldOpp Pipeline. These stages are designed to provide the participants with introductory work experience, career options, and guided entrance, normally, as apprentices to the labour market.

The fourth stage, Educaship Fellowship, combines professional education and apprenticeship. On the fifth stage, Careerprise Employment, the participants get support while transitioning to professional jobs. If the participants choose to be self-employed, they receive assets and attitudes to become the ones.

WorldOpp Orientation

WorldOpp Orientation is a brief, no more than 2 hour long, course that is designed to introduce the participants to the #Learning sequence we use, #What practice we envision, #What services we build, #Products we are to market, #What we already get, #What we can commit to, as well as #Student motivation.

EmployableU Foundation

EmployableU Foundation is a lightweight, about 3-4 hour long, course that is designed to introduce the participants to general concepts related to careers and career management, as well as employment, employability, self-employment, job markets, labor laws, occupations, professional credentials, recruitment, work characteristics, work arrangements, and workforce development.

CNMCyber Bootcamps

CNMCyber Bootcamps combine #What practice we envision and formal transfer of knowledge that the participants minimally need for that practice.

What practice we envision

During #CNMCyber Bootcamps, the students are going to practice with the non-profit endeavors that would benefit the public good. When the participants are legally able to work commercially and if they would like to do so, they are welcome to switch to #Careerprise at any time. To be employed and paid, they would develop those services that can be sold on the market.

Event projects

The students are to organize non-sensitive meetings that would be offered to the general public at no cost. Technology user groups such as CNM WordPress Users, CNM Jitsi Users, CNM MediaWiki Users, CNM Moodle Users, etc. would be the primary focus.

Technology projects

The students are to develop documentation and prototypes for websites and other technology products. The best draft of a list of available projects is published on the CNM Website Projects wikipage.

Cloud operations

The students are to operate existing pieces of technology.

Endeavor coordination

The students are to coordinate the endeavors to develop new pieces of technology and operate the existing one. The best draft of a list of available endeavors is published on the CNM Cloud Usable wikipage.

What services we build

According to IDosvid pitch, we would love to provide school students, most likely, high-school students, with #Workplace sandboxes, which shall be similar to regular workplace, so the students can practice with #What practice we envision in order to explore various professions in order to find the best match and earn industry credentials.

Introductory training

The students should be given:

1. System accounts that #Supporting technology shall deliver.
2. Formal training that reflects the #Learning sequence we use and based on #Course prototypes.

On-the-job support

1. CNMCyber events
2. CNM Social
3. To get one-on-one connection, the students shall be served with a sufficient number of mentors. The mentors may also provide the students with some on-the-job training when needed.

Industry credentials

The certification and recommendation requirements for shall be defined and implemented.

Career intelligence

To be advised about their possible career paths, the artificial intelligence requirements shall be defined and implemented as well.

Products we are to market

All the market products we are working on are built on #Learning sequence we use.

Careerprise

Careerprise is the package of commercial services to those who are on job markets, going to be there, or would like to be employed. The participants who are enrolled in Careerprise are supposed to pay for the services they receive and be paid for the services they render.

Unlike the other products that are listed in this section, Careerprise is delivered not by us, but by Virginia Institute of Technology LLC. Nevertheless, we may market Careerprise because of the benefits to our participants. Our participants are welcome to acquire the services they need at no cost via our own products and, when they are ready to produce valuable services and be paid, switch to Careerprise. The participants are welcome to go back and forth as many times as they choose so.

CNMCyber

CNMCyber represents the full scope of the first three stages of #WorldOpp Pipeline delivered free of charge. While practicing, the participants perform as volunteers. They are not paid for the services they may render; however, they don't pay for the services they receive.

iDosvid

iDosvid represents the full-scope version of #CNMCyber that is specifically tailored to high-school students.

WorldOpp Career Camp

WorldOpp Career Camp is the shortened version of #iDosvid. Both feature full-scope #WorldOpp Orientation and #EmployableU Foundation courses. However, the scope of #CNMCyber Bootcamps including their curriculum, job-alike practice, and guided entrance to the labour market is significantly reduced in comparison with #iDosvid. Those participants of the Camp who are interested in the full scope can switch to #iDosvid at the end of the Camp.

What delivery we anticipate

After-school program

As of now, we anticipate that #iDosvid would be initially offered as extracurricular activities within some after-school program.

Career days

As of now, we anticipate that #WorldOpp Career Camp is best delivered as career days in partnership with schools, related not-for-profits, or government organizations that deal with youth and youth employment. Our expertise in organizing such events is extensive; our first career day occurred in a Microsoft store in Tyson's Corner, Virginia on June 12th, 2012 -- https://www.meetup.com/techdc/photos/9029432/

Global extensions

As of now, we would like to consider global extensions when the schools in which #iDosvid is initially launched can collaborate; for instance, members of one team can participate from different countries such as Ukraine (where #iDosvid was supposed to be introduced originally), Kenya (where #iDosvid should be eventually introduced), and USA (where an "adult" version of #iDosvid called #CNMCyber was developed at first place).

What we already get

Course prototypes

We have developed several course prototypes:

1. Initially, we have built two courses, #WorldOpp Orientation and #EmployableU Foundation, as well as drafted the third one, #CNMCyber Bootcamps, in English and published them on CNM Cert.
2. Later, we translated the courses into Russian, introduced them in Ukraine, and advanced them to minimal viable products (MVPs). In total, they served about 2,000 learners.
3. Next, we translated the courses into Ukrainian to use them in Ukrainian-language, original version of #iDosvid.

Workplace sandboxes

About 80% of MVP complete

Supporting technology

About 67% of MVP complete

What we can commit to

Technology

We will work until 100% of MVP complete

Limited financing

Self-explanatory.

Fundraising assistance

Private and government donors

Advisory committee

We consider creating International Council for Vocational Orientation.

What we need

We are slowly developing services behind . The services are just partially available at the moment. To expedite the development, we look for partner's help.

Expertise

Someone from senior management position or executive-level retiree would participate in the #Advisory committee. Particularly, that council would discuss what needs to be created, where to source its developers, how to deploy, etc. We can treat that help as consulting.

Participants

While having a solid number of testing participants, we will move the development into the DevOps model. We will present what we have to the learners and ask them to practice with what we have, while new pieces get available.

Access to the cloud

To access the technology, the students should have:

1. Internet connection. We may reimburse access expenses partially or wholly.
2. Computing devices such as smartphones or laptops. We may work on fundraising for the devices, their storage, and transportation.
3. If the service is offered onsite, location such as a class or another room. We can further pitch potential donors to make this room look like a real-world workspace with, for instance, office cubicles.

Staffers on the ground

The students should have at least a couple of staffers on the ground. The target number of the staffers should depend on the number of students.

What partner we look for

Key requirements

1. Legal entity -- business, government, or not-for-profit
2. Access to people who haven't defined their occupations yet. If these people are minors, access to their guardians as well.

Partnership vs hiring

The Partner differs from a Careerprise contractor. #The Pitcher offers monetary compensation for contractors' services, while hiring contractors. The Partner can be a contractor as well, but different agreements shall regulate these two roles.

What is to be negotiated

Contract text

Self-explanatory.

Motivation

Including both #Student motivation and #Partner motivation.

Student motivation

Gifts

Such as smartphones, tablets, flashdrives, and laptops. What else?

Reimbursements

For instance, the Internet access. What else?

Job offers

Student's successful completion of #What practice we envision automatically leads to an offer to execute the Careerprise contractor agreement.

Partner motivation

We at #CNMCyber strongly believe that #What practice we envision, #What services we build, #What delivery we anticipate, and other #Student motivation would benefit the students, and, therefore, the partner. Beyond those, we would love to negotiate #Administrative fees, #Academic exchange, and #Mutual marketing.

Administrative fees

Some nominal fees for administrating. What else?

Academic exchange

What else?

Mutual marketing

Mentioning on the website, tech summits such as https://www.meetup.com/techdc/photos/15509362/. What else?

Compliance

We would like to make sure that #What practice we envision and #What services we build comply with existing laws.

Employment Act

Kenya's Employment Act regulates employment in that country. Although this law doesn't define employment directly, it may imply that employment in Kenya is a contract, either written or oral, in which one party, an employer, orders another party, an employee, who is an individual, to render specified services, for which the law requires the employer to compensate that individual with wages and salaries.

The law doesn't distinguish between employment, learning, and volunteering. Taking that law literally, one may suggest that schools shouldn't assign any work to students below 13 years of age, as well as pay their students for, let say, homework afterwards. Similarly, the government requires citizens to do some work, let say, while filing taxes. Another one may suggest that the government must pay its citizens for that service. All of those theoretical suggestions are nonsense only if we assume that wages and salaries mustn't be paid for any service.

Furthermore, the law doesn't seem to distinguish between a paid employee and independent contractor; for instance, this difference is clarified in the United States in details -- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee

We don't plan to hire any participant as an employee; even if we wanted so, we are a group of volunteers, not a legal entity. Moreover, the participants would be practicing on our cloud technology, which is physically located in Germany. As a group of volunteers, we are affiliated with #The Pitcher, which is incorporated in Michigan, United States, so Kenya's law may not apply.

To sum up, we are not going to employ the participants as any law implies. However, we would like to reach out to the Kenyan National Employment Authority to avoid any conflicts in complying with the Employment Act.

Industrial Training Act

Kenya's Industrial Training Act regulates "industrial training", which it defines as "training for a specified industry". In the meanwhile, the #Products we are to market have their limits. Simply put, we don't plan to build anything beyond introductory work experience, career options, and guided entrances, normally, as apprentices, to the labour market.

For instance, #CNMCyber Bootcamps cover JavaScript, but do so barely to the extend for a participant to decide whether he or she likes to be a JavaScript developer or administrator. However, we cannot provide and don't plan to provide the participants with advanced training in that framework since we deal with the #Learning sequence we use only.

If a graduate from #iDosvid would like to go to the upper stages of #WorldOpp Pipeline, Virginia Institute of Technology LLC, which runs the upper stages, would connect him or her with advanced training providers. Once again, this matching and, consequently, professional training are beyond of our work's scope. We develop and administer #CNMCyber, #iDosvid, and #WorldOpp Career Camp only.

To sum up, we are not going to provide the participants with "industrial training" as the law defines. However, we would like to reach out to the Kenyan National Industrial Training Authority to avoid any conflicts in complying with the Industrial Training Act.

Used terms

On this very wikipage, a few abbreviations and terms are commonly used.

We

CNMCyber Team

The Pitcher

CNM Bureau Farm, this very wikipage describes it.