New AI job platform to bring together all the skills of Nicaragua and boost the economy

Zurich, Switzerland/Washington, DC/Managua, Nicaragua, October 2020 – JANZZ.technology, Creative Associates International, the SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and Fundación COSEP (Superior Council of Private Enterprise) will soon launch Ubicanica.jobs, an AI-driven platform for Nicaragua designed to strengthen the search for jobs and talents, improve employability and boost the country’s economy.

In the adverse economic environment Nicaragua is currently faced with, and which has become even more precarious in recent months, many Nicaraguans lack information, perspective and visibility—especially the youth of Nicaragua, many of whom are denied opportunities to develop critical skills needed for employment, and access to quality training, job placement services and jobs.

The development organization Creative is tackling these issues through the Aprendo y Emprendo project financed by USAID and the SDC. This initiative aims at strengthening the private Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in order to provide the youth of Nicaragua with vocational skills, life skills, work readiness skills, and soft skills training that will help them become capable employees and entrepreneurs. As part of this project, Creative partnered up with Fundación COSEP, a foundation of the leading business chamber in Nicaragua, and Swiss tech firm JANZZ.technology to develop Ubicanica.jobs, which contributes by providing visibility, career counseling and job placement services.

“Our objective was to create a unique platform that will bring together all the skills and work opportunities of Nicaragua, matching precisely the right people to the right jobs,” says Stefan Winzenried, CEO of JANZZ.technology. “We really hope that as many people and companies as possible use the platform. The potential of having all job offers, job seekers and everything that is involved in the labor market on a single platform is massive: it will improve employment opportunities for everyone on every level.”

Unlike Nicaragua’s existing platforms, job searches on Ubicanica.jobs are not based on keywords. Instead, the user posts a profile of their individual skills and competences, which the system then analyzes using artificial intelligence and compares with the requirements of potential job offers. The technology behind it processes job-related data through deep learning algorithms and knowledge graphs to identify the best possible matches between jobs and candidates and make accurate suggestions to both job seekers and recruiters. The platform can also show users how to improve their chances in the labor market. The system analyzes which jobs and skills are currently in demand and based on the user’s profile, it recommends courses and training to improve employability.

To help mitigate the effects of the current situation in Nicaragua, the platform needed to be up and running as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. It was thus implemented as a white label product—in just 90 days—and is now operated by Fundación COSEP as a SaaS solution together with JANZZ.technology. COSEP is convinced that utilizing the innovative approach of Ubicanica.jobs will drive the social and economic development of the country. “Employment and entrepreneurship are key to a society’s wellbeing and we all have something to offer,” says one of their leading officials. “Through Ubicanica.jobs we can boost Nicaragua’s economy and strengthen our society by better matching the country’s talents and needs. If we all sign up and use the platform, it’ll be a real game-changer.”