BRIDGING GAPS.
EMPOWERING
PEOPLE FOR IMPACT.
Skillbridge is a unique, dynamic solutions provider and training firm with specialized expertise in capacity building for developing countries and underserved communities often facing poverty. We call our process of empowering individuals and organizations for measurable social impact in their communities Skillbridging.
-Train the trainer participant
-US organization serving prisoners
-Client lead’s description of working with Skillbridge
-DFI project lead, Africa
-Subject matter expert on client team
-Global DFI client
-Global DFI leader
-Client lead for expanding DFI project
-Senior Operations Officer and Project Champion, Global Senior Operations Officer
-Client project lead
-Training and client-facing team lead, DFI
Poverty is a global crisis requiring everyone’s attention. Nearly 800 million people earn less than $2 per day, live in absolute poverty, and lack the minimal standards to sustain life. Poverty plagues developing countries and underserved communities in both its absolute form and relative to the environment. The psychologically-crippling focus on survival that people living in poverty experience reduces their ability to grow and progress forward. Global leaders are collectively trying to address this and set a 2030 deadline to end extreme poverty through the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG #8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, is key to alleviating poverty by supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). According to the International Finance Corporation, MSMEs could provide 70% of the 600 million new jobs the world needs to end extreme poverty by 2030. This requires training, upskilling, and capacity building.
Skillbridge’s capacity-building approach provides solutions. Our well-versed and experienced team is qualified to upskill both MSMEs and equip the training professionals to upskill the MSMEs. We bring together a powerful arch of services, resting on guiding principles and pillars, to address the skill gaps and capacity building required to increase people’s professional capacity and employability and the growth potential of MSMEs. From there, citizens and businesses can empower developing countries and underserved communities. Skillbridge is sought out as a leader in capacity building and a partner to the world’s largest global developmental finance institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We are honored to lead the way in advancing economic development, creating jobs, and improving lives. We bridge gaps to empower people for impact.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to empower individuals and organizations to achieve measurable social impact.
This is the reason we exist.
Our Mission
At Skillbridge, we develop and strengthen skills, bridge gaps, and empower people and organizations passionate about serving developing countries and underserved communities. We are committed to going beyond identifying skills to bridging the necessary gaps to overcome complex obstacles during the journey toward measurable social impact.
We Skillbridge!
Why do projects fail?
Typical training efforts fall short of measurable social impact in developing countries and underserved communities. Projects fail when:
Focusing on one solution for a need without going beyond identifying the necessary skills to understand the complexity of the gaps
Missing the quality support and approach to problem-solving
Relying on learning methods alone without accounting for the contexts for impact and sustainability
Failing to analyze the need or approach for necessary methodologies thoroughly
What We Do
SKILLBRIDGING
Developing & Strengthening Skills
Bridging Gaps
Empowering People for Measurable Social Impact
Capacity Building
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Skillbridging
The Journey
When a powerful arch is supported by strong beams and pillars, results can be achieved. At Skillbridge, our sequence of services is supported by guiding principles and vetted methodologies so we can achieve measurable social impact through capacity building. This is our Skillbridge, our approach to capacity building.
WE SKILLBRIDGE! We Skillbridge to make our projects successful by going beyond identifying the needed skills to bridging existing gaps.
Why are we so effective at Skillbridging? In addition to providing our select, passionate clients with a Skillbridge, we bring to the table our broad experience with a diversity of projects and our desire to ensure client success.
Hover over the image below for an explanation of each piece of the Skillbridge Journey.
We develop or enhance the assessment for projects, teams, organizations, or beneficiaries to gather and use meaningful baselines throughout capacity building to drive measurable results. We develop low-tech and cloud platform-based assessments.
We develop and deliver tailored training solutions (for eLearning, blended, and in-person training) to train the trainers and participants using an interactive approach for strong learner application.
We develop customized coaching programs for projects, teams, and organizations. We train your coaches to drive continuous improvement and achieve measurable results.
We develop and implement strategic action planning to drive measurable results from assessment through training and coaching to reassessment.
We develop, enhance, or retrofit your measurement and evaluation strategy to measure high impact.
We provide enhancements or maintenance of Skillbridge services, event planning and facilitation, graphic and branding support, reporting, vendor management, sales enablement, and other continuous improvement services on a subscription basis.
Before embarking on the Skillbridge Journey, we identify gaps and opportunities by defining and analyzing performance needs. The output is a Skillbridge Needs Analysis, a complete report highlighting a clear way forward by identifying and prioritizing the most impactful actions to drive the project's success. Projects often skip the needs analysis, but for Skillbridge, it is the key that allows us to define the client's starting point and desired state. From there, we can confidently move forward onto the Skillbridge.
We have strong beams (guiding principles) supporting the Skillbridge Journey to achieve measurable social impact:
We understand that to be truly effective and transformational, Skillbridging requires an integrated delivery. The success of the Skillbridge Journey is only possible because of, in part, guiding principles that ensure measurable social impact through:
Guiding the journey are our four pillars, built on quality and training methodologies.
Depending on the outcome of the Skillbridge Needs Analysis, we have a powerful sequence of services to meet the client's needs for measurable social impact:
Pillar 1 is Define and Analyze Performance Needs. Pillar 1 is the most important, yet most often overlooked, pillar. We complete a Skillbridge Needs Analysis, highlighting a clear way forward by identifying and prioritizing the most impactful actions. We identify gaps and opportunities by defining and analyzing performance needs.
Pillar 2, Develop & Design Curricula, is guided by the needs analysis, and the process guides us to design and develop your Skillbridge solutions.
Pillar 3, Drive & Support Transfer of Learning, is about delivery. We drive and support the transfer of learning so that there is measurable social impact. Our Skillbridges are built for impact, scalability, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Pillar 4, Determine & Evaluate Learning is critical, yet often overlooked. We translate data into insights, enabling us to refine strategies, identify successes, and learn from challenges. It is an ongoing journey to measurable social impact.
As we journey with you, we work with you.
Our Clients
Many of our clients share a commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are part of a comprehensive global agenda to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure long-term prosperity and peace.
We find our passionate clients across the world as well as next door.
How can we begin the Journey together?
Our accumulated experience and ability to go beyond identifying skills to solving problems is strengthened not only by our 17+ years in the market but also by the rich diversity of projects we have undertaken to achieve measurable social impact.
Examples of our work and commitment to measurable social impact
Our clients’ success is our success. No matter our role, we strive to be an extension of our clients’ teams and are truly invested in the success of their projects. We bring the right experience and expertise to match our clients’ needs. We are committed to going beyond just identifying the needed skills to bridge the necessary gaps to overcome complex obstacles during this journey toward measurable social impact.
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-DFI client in Africa