Article was first published Injini’s Medium on 25th July, 2019.
Meet the co-founders of MyJobPass — CEO, Cynthia Bavo and CTO, Iddy John. Founded in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, MyJobPass is a digital platform that upskills graduates with in-demand skills and connects them with employment opportunities.
Cynthia and Iddy have just completed Phase 1 of Injini’s Cohort 3 Incubation Programme — the first 6-week period during which the startups are connected to a network of experts in education, tech, business development, and EdTech entrepreneurship and have the opportunity to further develop their business.
Keep reading to learn more about the journey of My Job Pass leading up to their selection into Injini’s programme, as explained by Iddy John.
What traction do you have so far?
MyJobPass has been recommended to implement an upskilling project for graduates from tertiary institutions worth $57,000 under the Skills Development Fund managed by the Tanzania Education Authority.
What is the story and inspiration behind starting MyJobPass?
Cynthia struggled to find her first job upon graduation, even though she had a degree from an elite university in East Africa and had top grades. She spent a year searching for a job and was being rejected with every application, only to receive feedback from one interviewer that while she had great grades, she lacked the skills and experience that they were looking for from an entry-level candidate. The challenge, she came to find, was not unique to her. To get more insight into this story, watch Cynthia’s presentation at the Injini Launch Event.
What is the unmet market need or challenge that MyJobPass is addressing?
Every year, close to 1 million graduates enter the job market in Tanzania. The Inter-University Council for East Africa estimates that 61% of these graduates lack job market skills, making it harder for them to land and perform in their first job.
How does MyJobPass solve the proposed problem and why is the MyJobPass team best-positioned to solve this problem?
MyJobPass seeks to prepare graduates from tertiary institutions for the labour market by upskilling them with the relevant job market skills demanded by the labour market and then connecting them to employers.
Our team of three has over 30 years of combined experience in the education sector, in building businesses, managing teams and working with youth.
Why did you choose to join the Injini Programme?
We chose the Injini programme because we wanted to learn about product-market fit and curriculum design.