e-lanX: Freelancing from Oaxaca to the world!
Sandra Arevalo
Founder & CEO
In collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Secretary of Economic Development of the City of Oaxaca de Juárez, the program e-lanX Reto Oaxaca was launched on March 24th 2023. The pioneering online training program will empower 160 digital talents from Oaxaca with key skills to work as online freelancers in the international market.
Freelancing online is booming as one of the consequences of the pandemic, representing a great opportunity for people, especially the youth, who are struggling to find local employment.
e-lanX Reto Oaxaca is the first step to promote e-lancing in the South states of Mexico, and the spearhead of employability initiatives in the region. It aims at boosting digital talents towards new job opportunities so they can unleash their full work potential without having to migrate.
The program was specifically designed to attract and select candidates likely to thrive as online freelancers, and help them sign their first contracts on digital platforms during the 12 weeks of training. From the creation of their profiles on leading e-lancing platforms to the implementation of billing procedures, participants will acquire key resources to navigate the online freelancing market and access more equitable and inclusive professional opportunities.
e-lanX will be held exclusively online during 3 months: 4 weeks of independent learning, and 8 weeks of tutored learning combining theoretical and intensive practical learning.
Theoretical contents will be presented in Spanish and completed by practical work on online platforms in English.
At the end of the self-paced phase, the participants with demonstrated abilities to work as online freelancers will be invited to move on to the tutored phase, during which they will receive personalized support from an experienced tutor who will validate their progress towards the signing of their first contracts.
Building on our experience implementing innovative training programs in Latin America, we are introducing a new funding model for the creation of a solidarity fund that will allow more participants to get involved in future editions: e-lanX participants will go through the independent learning phase at no charge, and the candidates selected for the tutored phase will cover the price of their training (1200 USD each) through Income Share Agreements financed by the results they will obtain. This fund will be operated by Quotanda, a firm specialized in funding solutions for education, and will grow as beneficiaries sign their first contracts, with an expected contribution of 15% of their income as online freelancers during their first year of activity.
Since our first pilots in El Salvador (2020) and Haiti (2021), our training programs have continuously evolved to maximise and sustain positive results in the long term. We are proud to bring e-lanX to digital talents in Oaxaca, making the future of work a reality for them today.