The pandemic has thrown up the desperate need for reskilling given that the nature of jobs
has changed dramatically. But the challenge is how to get workers to re-skill in a short time.
This is where XPrize comes in. The world’s leader in designing and operating incentive competitions
to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges, set up a contest in June 2020 inviting teams to develop
and demonstrate a quick training and reskilling solution for individuals most vulnerable to job loss in
the United States. There were 118 entries from 20 countries. HireMee is the only Asian entry that has
made it to the top 10 shortlisted participants vying for the prestigious $5 million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling challenge.
The way the contest has been structured is that after the end of Phase one,
10 teams make it to the shortlist. These ten Qualified Teams move to Phase two,
where they would have to rapidly train 350 individuals in 90 days or less at no
entry cost and ensure job retention of at least 60 days. Besides, it should
demonstrate exponential adoption by deploying the training solution for 2500
individuals in three industries in Phase 3.
In the first phase of the competition, HireMee rose to the challenge admirably.
The skills assessment developer put together a dynamic team of 23 global CEOs and
technology leaders, jointly led by Mr. Tom Dretler and Mr. Shirish Pareek in the
US and Mr. Chocko Valliappa in India to come up with novel solutions. Between them,
the team has extensive experience in technology, education, advanced manufacturing and
job placement in the US, India and the rest of the world.
In Phase 1, Team HireMee chose the healthcare sector to demonstrate how medical assistants
could be reskilled by deploying its two-decade-long experience working in the healthcare industry.
HireMee is a social enterprise of Vee Technologies, which offers tech-enabled business services
to healthcare outfits in the US. In the contest, it demonstrated how medical assistants through
training would gain administrative, clinical and non-technical skill sets, making them a versatile
member of any organization they join, ensuring long-term employment.
