With the support of
Platform-led upskilling refers to the training that marketplace platforms provide to small-scale vendors and self-employed workers, even outside the scope of a conventional employer-employee relationship. It is essential for business growth, especially in regions with significant skills gaps, yet remains underrepresented in research and best practices within the digital development community.
In 2019–2020, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Caribou conducted research involving a dozen platforms advancing the state of the art in upskilling. We created text and video case studies, identified common best practices, and published a report and academic paper on upskilling.
To scale the impact of platform-led upskilling, platforms, governments, and the development sector must engage in new knowledge exchanges and partnerships. These collaborations can help create better livelihoods in the digital era. Here are six calls to action:
- Strengthen upskilling efforts within platforms.
- Position upskilling initiatives in ways that resonate with economic development partners.
- Forge new partnerships between platforms and the development community.
- Build a stronger evidence base for transformational upskilling.
- Foster a broader community of practice.
- Develop a supportive ecosystem to maximize upskilling’s impact on individuals and entire workforces.
