This SkillChain Dapp was coded using Truffle and Solidity smart contracts. The backend blockchain is a private Ethereum network setup using Geth(go-ethereum) and the interactions are made possible by Web3 javascript library.
It is estimated that more than 80% of the workforce in India accounts to unorganized or informal sector and 50% of the national income evolves from this sector. Economical and social imbalances among different states in India fuelled internal migration rates in recent past. Higher rates of unemployment among educated youths in India caused them to look for jobs abroad and this greatly reduced the availability of workforce in Indian states, especially in informal job sectors. Low wages, limited and irregular employment opportunities, failed crops, family debts and drought are some of the factors that made many people to leave their homes in search of jobs in other states. But these unskilled migrant workers are facing lot many issues due to cultural differences, food habits, living style, languages, employment and wages while migrating to other states.
A major issue faced by unskilled migrant workers is the unawareness of the available jobs and there are no platforms available that lists available jobs through which they can register and apply for the job that best matches their skills. Due to this, middle men such as job agencies and contractors connect those workers to jobs through illegal means and asking them to pay a major portion of their salary as these agent’s or contractor’s commissions. Another problem they face is that the skills they already have are not recorded anywhere so that the experience they acquire may not be counted next time even if they do the same type of job. Unlike professional jobs, these migrant workers may not possess certificate of experience or other forms of appraisal based rating to showcase their skills and experience. The middlemen in such cases demands more money to the employer but may pay very less wage to these workers as these unorganized and unskilled workers may not be aware of job markets and minimum wages.
We propose a public, tamperproof and transparent application using Blockchain technology that connect unskilled and unorganized migrant workers and job providers so that the exploitation by middlemen such as unrecognized agents and contractors can be eliminated. The worker can register with the portal by creating their profile and uploading labour history, skills, availability and other personal details and a job provider can directly connect with the worker. This will create a transparency in job search and application process among these unskilled workers. We also propose a distributed digital ledger that records each and every work completed by the worker and also a review and rating mechanism by the job provider. Government agencies can also be a part of this system for ensuring minimum standards in wages and other living conditions for these workers. We think this system may bring a transparent job market where the exploitation by unauthorized middlemen may be completely eliminated. Furthermore, government recognised agents and contractors can recruit workmen through this portal for large scale jobs.
- Experience building through building a job history and rating mechanism of labourers.
- Migrant labourers can show this experience as a resume/CV when they apply for any job anywhere.
- Our ultimate aim is to allow labourers to rise up in the social ladder by this process of experience building.
Ananthan R, Nikhil V Chandran & Anoop V S.