Team C4 is
a free, smartphone based Serious Game for job seekers that will help identify
suitable candidates for the contact center industry.
Developed in collaboration with Formula D Interactive, a creative team
specializing in the production of Serious Games, Team C4 was unveiled on
September 3 by BPESA (Business Process
Enabling South Africa), a non-profit industry association for the BPO (Business
Process Outsourcing) sector.
With
over 215,000 people employed, the contact center industry is one of South
Africa’s major sources of employment and is one of the few industries
accessible to a large percentage of RSA unemployed youth. The industry is
creating over 5,000 new jobs every year to service the international BPO market
and its biggest challenge is finding the right people to fill the available
positions.
Team C4 is
expected to address this challenge and help the industry in sourcing talent. The
game, which assesses core industry competencies, will look at the player’s
numeracy, literacy, problem solving and language capabilities and will provide the
industry with a targeted and cost effective recruitment tool. It will be
piloted in the Western Cape and rolled out across the country later this year.
Game Background
Planning
for the game started in 2012, after BPESA and Formula D Interactive discussed
the skills challenges facing the industry and hatched the idea of using Serious
Games to reach the youth market. The game was then developed through investment
from the Rockefeller Foundation.
“In
order to make the game a reality, we needed a funder who not only believed in
the potential of the industry, but was also visionary enough to see this
innovation tool that could attract unemployed youth. The Rockefeller Foundation
saw the project as a perfect fit for their Digital Jobs Africa Initiative and
decided to support us,” said Gareth Pritchard, CEO of BEPSA Western Cape.
Gameplay Compiles A Profile
Page That Acts As A CV
Grumpsters have
invaded your city. They are small mischievous creatures that sabotage
technology to cause havoc and drive citizens nuts. Luckily, there is Team C4,
a special task team of customer care agents who fight back. In the game, you
become part of Team C4 as you deal with a number of problems, which have
been caused by the Grumpsters.
To
help citizens, you need to make the right decisions as quickly as possible.
There are four missions and time is running out – only a good score will unlock
the next levels. In this exciting adventure, players help to fix broken systems
and manage complaining citizens.
By joining the Team C4 you put skills
to the test necessary to get a job in the call center industry and you also
gradually compile a profile page, which acts as a CV. This information will be
accessible to recruitment agents. When showing interest and the right
potential, players may be contacted for job opportunities in their area.
About
BPESA
BPESA is a
non-profit industry association for the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector
in South Africa. The organization’s core focus areas are attracting foreign
investment, driving job creation, developing skills and creating an enabling
environment for companies and individuals operating in the sector.
About
Formula D Interactive
Formula D Interactive
is headed by Interaction Designer Michael Wolf, who moved to Cape Town from
Germany in 2003. After studying Design at Cologne International School of
Design (KISD) and École Nationale Superieure de Création Industriélle [ENSCI],
Paris, France, he joined MARS - Exploratory Media Lab at the Fraunhofer
Institute of Technology, Germany’s equivalent of MIT in the U.S., to work on
experimental human-computer interaction focusing on immersive media spaces and
tangible interfaces for computer-enhanced learning. He is co-founder of Formlos
design studio in Cologne, Germany, a design consultancy specializing in product
design. Wolf has received several awards including the prestigious IF Design
Award. In early 2007 he founded Formula D interactive, specializing in digital interactive
learning environments. He is chairperson of the Cape Town Design Network.
Michael is passionate about design and is a firm believer that Formula D Interactive
is instrumental in reinventing education through the use of technology.
About
The Rockefeller Foundation
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s
mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world.
Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals:
advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared
prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and
institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and
chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at
the intersection of four focus areas – advance health, revalue ecosystems,
secure livelihoods, and transform cities – to address the root causes of
emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and
grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale
transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and
take risks others cannot – or will not.