FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT  1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES  2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:

A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTION OF SKILLED LABOUR

Applicant:
TATA Consultancy Services Limited
A company Incorporated in India under The Companies Act  1956
Having address:
Nirmal Building  9th Floor 
Nariman Point  Mumbai 400021 
Maharashtra  India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a collaborative platform for skill seekers and skill suppliers. More particularly  the present invention relates to a system and method enabling a skill supplier to be benchmarked  trained  and hired as per the market requirements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally  an individual seeks job opportunities through mediums such as newspaper or would rely on information provided by colleagues. With the advent of information technology and the internet  the process of advertising for jobs and applications has gone through a sea change. Organizations seeking skilled resources  post their requirement through various websites or portals  and these can be accessed by various opportunity seekers who then apply to the listings. With advancement in algorithms used by sites  providing job-listing for individuals  individuals can search company postings by job type  location  and submit resumes electronically/online to the future employers.

To stand out in the competitive market of job listing  each site provides value added services that in turn provide focused search results for queries about job listings. These features have been sufficiently covered by various prior art.

The application US 20080249979 filed by Jussi Nurmio et al. discloses a method and an arrangement for pairing off a job seeker with potential employers in a labour market. The method and arrangement teaches the use of a database maintained by an opportunity provider such that it stores labour market data. The system includes a server device connected to the database. A job/opportunity seeker delivers  via a data network  an earmarking data item that contains information about the job seeker and earmarks a piece of the labour market data. The job seeker can earmark e.g. a vacant job that interests him or her. Therefore  the job seeker does not need to constantly study newspapers or data network announcements. To a potential employer  e.g. a company or a private person  who is seeking for suitable human resources  can be given a list of job seekers who have indicated interest in the potential employer.
Presently  majority of sites offering a job listing focus on educated and highly skilled labour. Few sites focus on the unorganized and highly segmented market of semi-skilled rural labour market  such as rozgarduniya  and ruralnaukri. However  these sites suffer from an inherent drawback of lack of internet penetration or connectivity in the rural areas.

With the above-cited reference we can conclude that there is a need of a platform  which not only helps a job seeker to find a desired opportunity but would also help him enhance his skill  and keep a track of new skills acquired. In addition  there is a need of a platform  which will overcome the limitation of internet penetration or connectivity to bring skill seekers and skill suppliers together.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a system for improved job searching technique utilizing a mobile based platform.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for facilitating job advancement of job seeker through job searching using mobile technology.

Yet another object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the dependency of an ordinary  low literacy person with limited cognitive abilities on modern technology.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system that enables a skill owner and skill buyer to collaborate on a mobile enabled platform.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for price discovery and transaction in a labour market.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system that enables benchmarking.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system that enables learning on a mobile enabled platform by the use of video  voice or still photos and combination thereof.

Yet another object of the present invention is to enable a skill finder solution deployed on a mobile-enabled platform to analyze voice and video to determine skill availability of the job seeker.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a trend analysis which monitors the platform for skills and competencies been acquired by people based on data gathered.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a proactive trainer  which monitors the requirement of the job seeker and tracks the competencies of pools of labours.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a people tracker mechanism  which tracks the career and growth of the labour personnel  based on their interaction with the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Before the present methods and apparatuses are described  it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular apparatus and methodologies described  as there can be multiple possible embodiments of the present invention  which are not expressly illustrated  in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only  and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention  which will be limited only by the appended claims.

There is a demand for semi-skilled labour in both urban areas and rural areas but currently there is no existing system that helps a semi skilled labour or offeree to interact with an offeror or a person requiring semi skilled labour. Therefore  according to one aspect of the present invention a system is provided where an offeree and offeror can interact and exchange services.

A plurality of systems and methods exist wherein job seekers and skill seekers interact using a collaborative platform to match skills and roles. However  there is a need for a mobile-based platform that integrates a training platform and a bench marking system with a job search platform so that an illiterate semi-skilled labour can enhance his/her skill relating to specific job requirement. Presently  such enhancements have not gained visibility and these enhancements are relevant in the socio-economic context for developing and developed countries. Therefore  according to another aspect of the present invention  a system is provided that enables integration of a training module into a platform  wherein the platform is configured to collaborate with a skill seeker and skill supplier.

According to another aspect of the present invention  a system utilizing a personal communication device skill finder solution is provided and is configured to analyse voice and video to determine the skill of an offeree or subscriber.

According to another aspect of the present invention  a system configured to track the career and growth of a labour personnel based on his interaction with the system is disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary  as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments  is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. Drawings and illustrations described herein are intended to lay more emphasis on understanding the underlying principle of the invention. The manner in which the drawings are presented in no way limit the scope of the invention and the advantages one can garner from the embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 1  illustrates a block diagram representing a mobile based platform  in accordance with an implementation of the present invention.

Figure 2  illustrates a flow diagram for facilitating employment for a skill supplier according to an embodiment.

Figure 3  illustrates a flow diagram facilitating employee search for a skill seeker.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of this invention  illustrating its features  will now be discussed:

The words "comprising " "having " "containing " and "including " and other forms thereof  are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items  or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims  the singular forms "a " "an " and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems  methods  apparatuses  and devices similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention  the preferred  systems and parts are now described.

The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention  which may be embodied in various forms.

Definitions of the Terms:

The terms “job seeker ” or “employee ” or “opportunity seeker ” or “offeree ” or “skill supplier ” refers to a common term “offeree” and essentially mean the same.
The terms “job provider ” or “employer ” or “skill seeker ” or “skill consumer ” or “offeror ” refers to common term “offeror” associated with a project initiation and essentially mean the same.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention  a cost effective mechanism  this enables skill owners and skill buyers to collaborate on a mobile enabled platform. This is cost-effective keeping in mind literacy level/technology availability in rural population. The said mobile enabled platform also provides a mechanism for price discovery and transaction with benchmarking along with learning system on mobile enabled platform.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram representing mobile-based platform according to an embodiment. A system facilitating adhoc employment (100) comprises a platform (101). The platform (101) enables interaction and collaboration between a skill seeker and skill supplier. The said platform (101) according to an embodiment in embedded as an application on personal communication device or mobile phone and as a gateway application hosted on a server according to another embodiment. According to an exemplary embodiment the skill seeker accesses platform (101) via the gateway application and the skill supplier accesses the platform via the application embedded in the personal communication device. Utilizing the embedded application enables geo-tagging of the skill supplier. This helps when the skill seeker makes a request from a predefined geographical territory.

The platform (101) is further communicably connected to an assessment module (102)  the assessment module is configured to virtually and intuitively rate or grade a training task completed by the skill provider. The said module (102) stores the grades for future evaluation of the skill supplier. The platform (101) further comprises a skill finder module (103) communicably connected to the platform (101)  configured to capture voice and video of the skill seeker and skill supplier to determine the skill required or acquired. The determination is achieved by offline analysis of the video and voice captured. The skill finder module (103) enables the skill seeker to find the skill supplier who ever meets the expectation of the skill seeker and created channel of communication.

The platform (101) further comprises of a trend analysis module (104) communicably connected to the platform (101)  wherein the said module (104) is configured captures a plurality of information relating to the skills and the competencies that have been acquired by a plurality of skill supplier over a predefined time period. The trend analysis module (104) captures the plurality of information by monitoring the assessment module (102) and analysing the skills and the competencies that have been acquired by a plurality of skill supplier based on the training the skill supplier have under gone and have been rated or graded.

In an exemplary embodiment  the platform (101) pools or groups together a plurality of skill suppliers having or sharing similar skills  interest or competencies. The said platform (101) comprises a trainer module (105) communicably connected to the platform (101). The trainer module (105) proactively captures a set of information by analysing the requirement or request made by a skill seeker or skill supplier relating to desired competencies or trainings. The said module (105) is further configured to send alerts at a pre-determined interval to individual skill supplier or groups of skill supplier having or sharing similar skills  interest or competencies. The alerts or notification issued can contain information suggesting new training options available  training that the skill supplier needs to undergo  or suggesting cross-functional areas to the skill supplier where there are better economic prospects.

The system (100) further comprises a tracker module (106) communicably connected to the platform (101). The tracker module (106) tracks a career growth of skill supplier based on the interaction with the platform (101). The module captures  maintains and compiles indexed information related to a plurality of jobs executed or performed  ratings or grades in theory or practice captured by assessment module (102)  and feedback from peers and skill suppliers.

In an embodiment of the present invention  the system (100) having the platform (101) further comprises a dashboard module (107) that is configured to render a summary or a snapshot of the platform (101) based on the interaction of the various modules.

In an embodiment  the skill finder module (103) captures a set of information from the assessment module (102) using at least one input strategy from the group comprising of a verbal instructions  a demonstration  a video  a set of diagrams  a photo sequences or an audio conversation with a interactive voice response (IVR).

In an exemplary embodiment the trend analysis module (104) used for capturing the plurality of information relating to the skills and the competencies of the skill supplier is achieved by monitoring the assessment module (102) and quantifying factors like adaptability  commitment  creativity  motivation  foresight  leadership  independence  emotional stability analytical reasoning and communication skills of the skill supplier.

According to an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figure 2  a method (200) is disclosed where a skill supplier and a skill seeker interact and collaborate on the platform (101) provided by the system (100) facilitating adhoc employment. The method facilitates adhoc employment to a plurality of skill suppliers using an application embedded within a personal communication device of the each of the plurality of skill supplier  wherein the application is adapted to communicably connect to a platform. The method comprises capturing a plurality of information for each of the skill supplier (201) on the platform through the application  wherein the platform is configured to capture the information via short messaging service or interactive voice response (IVR) system. The information captured relates to details like skill known  skills acquired  and personal details. The application also enables geo-tagging of the skill supplier to a predefined geographical territory. Information relating to geo-tagging is updated automatically or manually by the application. Automatic updation is possible by requesting information from a network communication server associated with or providing service to the personal communication device. Geo-tagging enables adhoc employment  as job queries generated by a skill seeker are automatically routed to a skill supplier in the vicinity. The location of the skill seeker can also be captured via the communication device or internet protocol (IP) address.

The method further comprises step of determining competencies  skills acquired and skill known of the skill supplier (202) through a skill finder module (103) of the application. The skill finder (103) module captures a first set of data relating to video  voice and/or still images and uploads to the platform via the application. The platform then performs offline analysis on the captured first set of data and generates a report. An assessment module (102) rates or grades the analysis report generated. The grades are simultaneously updated in a first database that is maintained by a trend analysis module (104) and a second database that is maintained by a trainer module (105).

The method further comprises notifying the plurality of skill suppliers (203) of the competencies acquired and competencies required. The trainer module (105) proactively monitors plurality of skills that the plurality of skill supplier has acquired over a time span. The module (105) further monitors the competencies and skill  which the skill seeker seeks from the skill supplier. The trainer module (105) tries to create a balance in job market by providing the skill seeker what he desires and the helping the skill supplier to reach his target employer. According to an embodiment  the trainer module (105) is further configured to monitor cross-functional areas or related field so that the skill supplier could be notified about the opportunities available and training needed.

The method further comprises providing training to the plurality of skill supplier based on notification received (204). The assessment module (102) provides training courses in form of video or questionnaire based on voluntary request made by the skill supplier or based on the notification received from the trainer module (105). The assessment module (102) is further configured to assess the training courses completed by each skill supplier. People from industry can do the assessment of the training or virtual assessors.

The method further comprises of tracking at least one parameter for each of the plurality of the skill supplier (205). A tracker module (106) tracks progress and details for each of the plurality of skill supplier. The data tracked by the tracker module (106) relates to the career of the each skill supplier  the jobs that have been executed or are in progress  ratings or grading in theory based training courses  ratings or grading in practice based training courses. The module (106) is further configured to track and capture feedback from either a customer who had consumed the skill of the skill supplier or the peer who had worked with the skill supplier on various jobs.

According to another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figure 3  a method (300) is disclosed that enables a skill seeker to interact and collaborate with a skill supplier on a platform. The method comprising of subscribing to an application hosted on a server providing a platform to interact with the skill supplier (301). The skill seeker subscribes to an application that is hosted on a remote sever or embedded in a mobile device or both. The skill seeker interacts with the platform through a dashboard module (107). The further method comprises running a requirement query on the application (302). The skill seeker executes a search query  which contains information relating to the requirement of a skill needed. The geographical location of the skill seeker is automatically captured from the mode of communication used by the skill seeker. The location can be modified manually if desired by the skill seeker. Upon selecting at least one skill supplier from a result generated from the running  the requirement query (303) the skill seeker can view the competencies and skill of each of the skill supplier. The method further comprises of connecting to the at least one skill supplier (304). The method for connecting can be selected from either sending a short message through the application or contacting the selected skill supplier directly or hosting a message on the platform through an IVR.

We Claim:

1. A system facilitating an adhoc employment  the system comprising:
an application embedded in a plurality of personal communication devices  the application configured to capture and identify personal details of a plurality of skill suppliers  associated uniquely with each of the said personal communication devices;
a server hosted with a gateway application  configured to communicate with the plurality of personal communication devices;
a pre-identified geographical territory binding each personal communication device and dynamically geo-tagging each personal communication device associated with the plurality of skill supplier randomly to at least one geographical territory; and
at least one skill seeker connected communicably with server adapted to search the plurality of skill supplier.

2. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the application further comprises an assessment module (102) configured to intuitively grade a training task completed by the plurality of skill supplier.

3. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the application further comprises of a skill finder module (103) configured to capture and analyse video and/or voice of the plurality of skill supplier or the at least one skill seeker to determine an availability of the plurality of skill supplier or the at least one skill seeker.

4. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the gateway application comprises of a trend analysis module (104) communicably connected to the application embedded in the personal communication device  the said module (104) monitors the application to determine the skills acquired by the plurality of skill supplier.

5. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the gateway application comprises of a trainer module (105) communicably connected to the application embedded in the personal communication device  wherein the trainer module (104) captures a plurality of information defined by a historic and a current request initiated by the at least one skill seeker.

6. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 5  wherein the trainer module (105) is further configured to send a notification containing the plurality of information to the plurality of skill supplier.

7. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the gateway application comprises of a tracker module (106) communicably connected to the application embedded in the personal communication device  wherein the said module (106) captures and maintain a compiled database consisting a set of information relating to a plurality of jobs executed  ratings in theory  ratings in practical  and feedback from peers and skill suppliers.

8. The system facilitating an adhoc employment of the claim 1  wherein the gateway application comprises of a dashboard module (107) configured to render a summary of the gateway application to at least one skill seeker.

9. A method facilitating adhoc employment to a skill supplier using an application embedded on a personal communication device of the each of the plurality of skill supplier  wherein the application is adapted to communicably connect to a platform  the method comprising:
a. capturing a plurality of information for each skill supplier;
b. determining competencies  skills acquired and skill known of the skill supplier;
c. notifying the plurality of skill suppliers of the competencies acquired and competencies required;
d. providing training to the plurality of skill supplier based on notification received; and
e. tracking at least one parameter for each of the plurality of the skill supplier.

10. The method of claim 9  wherein the platform is configured to capture the plurality of information via a short messaging service  and an interactive voice response (IVR) system and combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9  further comprises geo-tagging of the plurality of skill supplier with predefined geographical territories.

12. The method of claim 9  wherein the competencies  skills acquired and skill known are determined by capturing video  or voice or still images or combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12  wherein an assessment module assesses the captured video  or voice or still images or combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 9  wherein the assessment module provide training to the plurality of skill supplier determined by the notification received.

15. The method of claim 14  wherein the assessment module is configured to provide a training of a random course selected by the skill supplier and further assesses the training on completion.

16. The method of claim 9  wherein the at least one parameter tracked are selected from a group consisting of career growth/fall  job executed  ratings in theory  rating in practice  and or feedback.

17. A method for facilitating skill supplier search for a skill seeker  method comprising:
a. subscribing to an application hosted on a server providing a platform to interact with the skill supplier;
b. running a requirement query on the application;
c. capturing a geographical location of the skill seeker;
d. selecting at least one skill supplier from a result generated from the running the requirement query  wherein the result generated is adapted to render result based on the geographical location of the skill supplier and the skill seeker; and
e. connecting to the at least one skill supplier.

18. The method of claim 17  wherein the application renders a snapshot of a plurality of information pertaining to the skill supplier on receiving a request from the subscribed skill seeker.
Dated this 26th Day of March  2012

Priyank Gupta
Agent for Applicant
IN-PA-1454

ABSTRACT

A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTION OF SKILLED LABOUR

A system and method facilitating an adhoc employment  comprising an application embedded on a plurality of personal communication devices. The application is configured to capture and identify personal details of plurality skill supplier  associated uniquely with each of the said personal communication devices. A server hosted with a gateway application  configured to communicate with the plurality of personal communication devices. A pre-identified geographical territories binding each personal communication device and dynamically geo-tagging each personal communication device associated with the plurality of skill supplier  randomly to at least one geographical territory. At least one skill seeker connected communicably with server adapted to search the plurality of skill supplier.

Figure 2