Micro-credentials and job matching to raise mason incomes above poverty
Low-income masons in Senegal face criminal trials and public shame for stealing basic items worth ~$0.80 due to crushing poverty.
SkillBrick offers offline-first video lessons taught by respected Senegalese master masons on advanced techniques, business skills, and safety. Users earn shareable micro-certificates that coastal hotels and construction firms recognize. The app also surfaces higher-paying job opportunities. Sponsoring organizations pay $29/month to unlock premium content and priority job placement for their workers.
Low-income construction workers and masons earning under $5/day in coastal Senegalese towns like Grand-Mbour and Saly Portudal
Content created by actual Senegalese master masons in Wolof, combined with direct job pipelines to tourism construction boom in Saly and Mbour. Offline-first progressive web + app experience.
motivational
Downloadable tutorials on tiling, finishing, business skills in Wolof
Earn verifiable badges after quizzes and photo submission of work
Curated higher-paying gigs from verified coastal employers
Companies post jobs and browse certified masons
Visual skill tree showing path from basic mason to master contractor
Virtual groups where masons critique each other's finished work photos
Users log wage before/after certifications
Special module required by many hotel projects
Recommends next lessons based on job market demand
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| phone | text | No |
| name | text | Yes |
| current_wage | int | Yes |
| location | text | Yes |
| created_at | timestamp | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| name | text | No |
| tier | text | No |
| created_at | timestamp | No |
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| skill_name | text | No |
| issued_at | timestamp | No |
| verified | bool | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| org_id | uuid | No |
| title | text | No |
| daily_rate | int | No |
| location | text | No |
| status | text | No |
Relationships:
/api/jobs/postEmployer posts new job opening
/api/certificates/verifyPublic verification of mason certificates
/api/skills/recommendReturn next recommended lessons
No employer dashboard
Up to 40 masons
None
| Month | Users | Conversion | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 15 | 47% | $203 | $2,436 |
| Month 6 | 165 | 33% | $1,584 | $19,008 |
Offline video training + job marketplace created by Senegalese masters. Only $29/month for cooperatives.
Approach 6 hotel construction projects currently underway in Saly Portudal. Offer free training access and priority worker matching for the first three general contractors who agree to post jobs on the platform and pay for verified certificates.
Tech talent focus
Not serving informal construction sector or low-literacy users
Hyper-local content in Wolof created by Senegalese masters
Official diplomas
Expensive, classroom-only, long duration
Mobile, bite-sized, job-connected, and 10x cheaper
Exclusive content partnerships with respected Senegalese master masons and growing database of verified worker performance correlated with wage increases.
Tourism-driven construction boom in Petite Côte (Saly, Mbour) is creating demand for higher-skilled masons. Cheap Android phones with SD cards make offline video practical for the first time.
Employers don't trust micro-credentials
Start with 4 pilot employers who agree to preferential hiring and provide testimonials
Creating high-quality Wolof video content
Hire 2 master masons as content partners with revenue share
Success: 80% completion rate and 60% report higher confidence
Success: At least 12 job placements and first 3 paid organizations
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