New, innovative hi-tech employment program unveiled at AIPAC

Israel needs 13,000 skilled hi-tech workers. KamaTech, Tech-Career and Tsofen offer a solution.

By HAGAY HACOHEN
Israeli Hi-Tech needs thousands of workers, a new program presented at AIPAC with the US embassy in Israel means to provide them (photo credit: Courtesy)
Israeli Hi-Tech needs thousands of workers, a new program presented at AIPAC with the US embassy in Israel means to provide them
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel, which is often seen as the start-up nation, is suffering from a labor shortage and needs roughly 13,000 skilled men and women to meet the demands of the global market. Three NGOs, KamaTech, Tech-Career and Tsofen work to train Haredi, Arab-Israelis and Ethiopian-Israelis so that they can join the hi-tech marketplace.
With the help of the US Embassy in Israel, the three NGOs shaped a comprehensive program to recruit, train and place employees from these minority groups.
The Cultural Attaché at the US Embassy, Elizabeth Fritschle, said, "We are honored to join the program” and expressed the hope it would facilitate good relations and peace between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel.
“The three communities are underrepresented in the Israeli economy,” said KamaTech CEO Moshe Friedman. “I believe the project is a win-win situation.”
Tech-Career CEO Takele Mekonen said that his company is “tripling our force to enable talented and motivated women and men from underserved communities to advance to their full potential.”
And finally, Tsofen CEO Sami Saadi added that “Arab society offers a significant potential of human talent in relevant areas - with growing numbers of Arab students pursuing hi-tech professions in Israeli institutions of higher education.”