Vulnerable Adolescents Find International Opportunities

05 March 2020, Dushanbe. The Ministry of Labor, Migration and Population Employment in partnership with UNICEF Tajikistan has opened a Remote Jobs Training hub in Dushanbe Vocational Training Center under the Agency of Employment of the Ministry designed to upskill and create job opportunities for marginalized adolescents and youth of Tajikistan.

The model – known as Impact Sourcing – used as an employability approach in this Hub equips young people with market-competitive digital skills and connects them to socially responsible employers in and outside of the country that hire them in positions for which they can work remotely via the Internet.

The Impact Sourcing model takes advantage of the new 21st century job market. Feasibility assessment conducted by the Ministry and UNICEF in 2018 on Impact Sourcing for remote jobs in Tajikistan showed that both domestic and international companies are in great need of young employees who can do specific digital jobs, known in the market as microwork – an opportunity that is especially advantageous for Tajikistan, where the vast majority of population are youth that  live in remote areas and meaningful job opportunities are few and far between.

By allowing marginalized young people to earn competitive salaries regardless of how remotely they live, the model also goes some way to addressing issues of skills-building for future jobs, youth unemployment and outbound migration. This model of remote jobs will not only keep young people in Tajikistan, but also reduce impact of migration to women and children left behind and curb the national “brain drain” crisis.

The program is aimed primarily at isolated youth such as girls, migrants, and those living with disabilities and it is expected that 8120 young girls and boys will be empowered with skills and work in its first three years of operation.

The model has already been trialed by Pamir Innovation Hub and UNICEF in Khorog city where the first batch of more than 80 young people have completed their training and are now providing digital outsourcing jobs to companies abroad.