Workers to get education through digital learning platform
Adult workers who struggle with life skills such as reading or writing are to receive a helping hand in the UAE to improve their job prospects thanks to a digital learning project, Smart Labour, supported by the Expo Live programme.
Smart Labour is among three organisations in the UAE that between them are receiving more than AED 1 million in funding through Expo Live’s Innovation Impact Grants.
Expo Live is an innovation and partnership programme launched by Expo 2020 Dubai to fund, accelerate and promote creative solutions that improve lives while preserving the planet. Through Innovation Impact Grants, the programme awards grants to support the growth of social enterprises, start-ups and grassroots projects around the world.
Expo Live is not disclosing the amount for each project it is supporting but has said it would grant up to USD 100,000 per initiative for its Innovation Impact Grant Programme.
Smart Labour, a digital learning and smart services platform that provides voice-enabled content to educate blue-collar workers in their language and provide them with useful smart services to make their lives easier, is among the first to receive funding.
Abu Muadh, Founder of Smart Labour, said: "There are 2,2 million blue collar workers in the UAE and about 16.5 Million workers in the Middle East, most of them are not connected to the smart world and are only using technology for entertainment purposes such as talking to their families. In life, they face many challenges due to the lack of and barriers to education. As a result, they are unable to express themselves well, which has a direct effect on their productivity, happiness and overall contribution to the economy.
“The Smart Labour App is specifically designed for blue-collared workers and labourers. It assists them by teaching them life skills in their own language and provides them opportunities to win vouchers (food, shopping etc.) & telecom rewards to connect to their families for free
“In addition to the core learning focus, we also provide value added smart services specific to their needs. We currently have a reporting service through which they can report health and safety incidents & provide feedback and suggestions via a voice note & by snapping a picture without having to type out anything. We are building a food service before Ramadan for them where restaurants can advertise offers to residents who can purchase the food online after registering as a partner. Labourers will get a notification on their phone with vouchers, which they will be able to redeem upon showing the voucher at the restaurant.”
"We have also built an engagement platform for residents to provide minutes, data & vouchers to help labourers be part of the smart world so they too, can benefit."
Another grant recipient in the UAE is the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). The Dubai-based non-profit agricultural research centre was established in 1999 and its mandate is to develop agricultural production systems using marginal land and water resources which are available in desert environments.
The grant from Expo Live will support the development of inland and coastal modular farms in the UAE.
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