Google launches app for Bangladeshi job seekers

Google has introduced a new app called kormo aiming to help people find jobs and generate economic opportunities for everyone in the country.

Kormo is an experimental job marketplace from Google's Area 120incubator. Primarily catering to the informal job market, there are two parts to Kormo: the job seeker app and employer app.

Bickey Russell, who leads the kormo project, unveiled the app formally at a press conference held at a restaurant in the capital on Thursday.

Moutushi Kabir, director, communications and outreach, BRAC and BRAC International, also spoke on the occasion, among others.

Speaking at the event, Bickey Russell said Kormo had been in early access testing in Dhaka for the last year and has so far fulfilled more than 21,000 jobs and has serviced over 1,000 employers.

Kormo is different from job listing or matching sites as it creates a persistent connection with the users and takes responsibility for job fulfillment beyond the initial job matching, he added.

"In Bangladesh, over 2.0 million young people enter the workforce every year but unemployment and underemployment continue to grow creating new challenges for local people and the economy, Russell said.

With 86 per cent of the labour force employed in the informal job sector "we believe there's room to innovate and have been testing out Kormo in Dhaka" since mid-2017, Bickey said.

Moutushi Kabir said education, skills and job market need to be closely aligned to create effective pathways out of poverty, unemployment and discrimination.

Education needs to translate into employable skills and skills need to translate into jobs. Since 2015, over 36,000 people (46 per cent girls and women) have gained skills training, hands-on apprenticeship, job and entrepreneurship opportunities through BRAC's Skill Development Programme, Kabir said.

"A digital marketplace like Kormo is inclusive, transparent and competitive. It will enhance access, capacity and opportunity for the Bangladeshi youths, especially women," she added.

Using machine learning, Kormo pairs candidates with available jobs based on a 'best match' model and provides a two-way rating system for employers and employees. Over time, Kormo aims to provide structure and metrics to the informal job market while generating economic opportunity for everyone.

Job seekers can sign up, create their CV and get matched to potential jobs. The app also provides curated learning contents for skills and personal development.

This includes tracking job interview attendance, successful selection, certification, and job experience accumulation. Over time, Kormo automatically builds out a user's career CV based on completed jobs and skills development.

The Kormo app is available on Android via Google Play and for now, only caters to jobs in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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