Torino Process 2018–2020 Israel - National Report

One of the most prominent challenges facing industry today is the significant lack of human capital. To ensure that education and training systems are adapting to the dynamic nature of reality and training the future generation in the skills and abilities required for the future workforce, mechanisms must be created that identify needs, professions and skills for the future.

Source: Round table – recommendations of the changing labour market team, Employment Committee 2030 (Eckstein Committee)

Israel does not have structured, institutionalised mechanisms for identifying future needs. However, it is currently considering joining UNESCO's programme for predicting future human resource needs. Israel's participation will be led by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with employers.

Educational content that uses advanced technology has been included in the curricula of technological programmes at all levels and in all tracks. This is evident in innovative study content and in student internships and apprenticeships in workshops and laboratories.

Another challenge facing the country is the greater inclusion of unique populations in the labour market, such as ultra-Orthodox men, Arab women and Bedouin people.

With regard to providing solutions to economically, socially and politically disadvantaged groups, the Ministry of Economy’s VET system provides a significant and comprehensive response to VET – the vocational schools in the Arabic-speaking community provide a very good opportunity for their graduates to be integrated into industry. Following the government resolution to integrate Arab girls into vocational training (Trachtenberg Report), the number of girls in vocational schools has risen significantly. In 2015, a vocational school for girls opened in East Jerusalem (200 girls); in 2016, the first vocational school for boys opened in East Jerusalem.

In addition, the Israeli economy is currently at full employment (frictional unemployment), but Israel’s productivity is one of the lowest in the OECD. According to the report, there is currently an average gap of 30% between Israel’s GDP per capita and that of the OECD countries, while the gap between the average productivity rate of the most advanced OECD countries and Israel over the last decade ranges between 35% and 40%.

In addition, government investment in employment programmes is low compared to the average in the OECD and stands at less than 8% of GDP per capita, compared to an average of about 16% in the OECD.

At the same time, we are witnessing a growing worldwide trend of a lack of human resources in core technological professions. Technological professionals who immigrated to Israel in the 1990s from the former Soviet Union and bridged the education and technological employment gaps have reached retirement age. They are leaving behind a large rift, both in knowledge and in professional experience, which affects staffing of these positions.

Tables 3 and 4 display data on professional staffing requirements in industry, based on data for 2018/19 provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

(See Tables 3 and 4 in the report in PDF p. 21-23)

Following a government decision of June 2015 on ‘nurturing and maximising human capital’, an inter-ministerial team established by the Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office published a comprehensive report in July 2016 on improving the system of accreditation and mobility between education and training systems. The team focused on the lack of a lateral perspective and systemic approach to education and technological and vocational training in Israel. This situation is reflected, on the one hand, in the lack of training continuity, which would enable career planning, and, on the other hand, in the streamlining of training programmes. The various stages in the technological education and training system (including technological education in school, training procedures in the army and institutions of higher education) are not linked to each other, and there is no organised mechanism to recognise content and skills that have been acquired in previous training sessions.

As part of a strategic, economic and social assessment submitted to the government, and following the government decision of June 2015, an inter-ministerial team was established to streamline and align accreditation for the different training systems. This comprehensive national qualifications framework will facilitate transitions between vocational, technological and academic studies in the long run. All national certificates and accreditations awarded by Israel's TVET system will be ranked and made accessible to the public via the Prime Minister's Office. The team has now drafted its final recommendations, including reforms in the training of technicians and practical engineers.

In terms of technological and vocational education in secondary schools, the inter-ministerial team recommended that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour work together to maximise recognition of education and training obtained at secondary school level. This goal will be achieved by formulating a plan agreed by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour to recognise Ministry of Education study tracks for a professional certificate. At the same time, system-wide adjustments will be made to enable vocational and technological school students to maximise their opportunities to complete their matriculation certificate requirements and obtain a higher education in technology or engineering.

In order to improve the level of inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour, the establishment of a permanent steering committee is recommended. This should include the relevant department heads of these ministries and the National TVET Committee, representing all the relevant stakeholders. The committee’s objective would be the mutual recognition of education and training programmes in secondary schools and workplaces and the linking of the relevant information systems of these two ministries.

In 2018, a comprehensive OECD report was published on professional specialisation, education and vocational training in Israel. The report presented a review of the technological education system for secondary school students. It described this system as having two main general goals. The first is to meet the labour market’s need for a wide range of technical, professional and commercial skills, especially in fields that do not necessarily require higher education. The second is to help students, who, for one reason or another do not aspire to take the academic route, achieve success in the world of employment. The report mentioned several main weak points in the technological and vocational education system and challenges faced by the system: most students in technological and vocational education are not prepared for specific career fields; compared to other countries around the world, very few students integrate practical experience and specialisation during their studies; a large number of technological education graduates, especially in certain social groups, lack basic language and mathematics skills.

Furthermore, the authors of the report determined that there is a need for strategic and streamlined reforms in technological and vocational education in Israel, including the following:

• developing tracks for work experience as part of technological education in secondary schools;
• expanding the collaboration between technological education frameworks and employers in the field, both for formulating and developing education programmes and tracks and as part of the studies themselves;
• increasing transparency and uniformity in the education and technological and vocational systems by establishing a national technology council for education and building a national system of certification and qualification;
• paying increased attention to the level of training in language literacy and basic mathematics in technological and vocational education programmes, especially in programmes intended for students in the Arab and ultra-Orthodox school systems.

The Ministry of Education programmes that were presented to the Knesset committees over the last two years specified the ministry’s goals for technological education in the coming years. These are: building a vocational qualifications system for engineering, technological and vocational education; increasing the number of students who are entitled to a vocational qualification in secondary school and in advanced studies (technicians and practical engineers) to 43% of students (about 180 000 students in 2022); increasing the percentage of students who combine practical studies and experience in the workforce; making technological and vocational education accessible to all populations; increasing the number of available frameworks and programmes in technological and vocational education, especially in fields needed for the hi-tech industry. The Ministry of Labour’s MAHAT programme will be reformed, starting in the 2019/20 academic year. This will involve the updating of education programmes in seven fields. Table 5 below shows the number of students in technology tracks, which are supervised by the Ministry of Education in the 2017/18 academic year.

In the 2020/21 academic year, four additional programmes will be updated, and in 2021/22 all the other programmes will be updated. In addition, some of the study programmes will be available online.

The Ministry of Labour’s vocational training system operates under the Apprenticeship Law of 1953 and the Youth Employment Law of 1953. It offers vocational training in secondary schools to young people aged 14 to 18. The vocational school programme is a four-year programme. Ninth grade is a general year, used to guide students towards technology studies. The second year focuses on a specific vocation. In the final two years, students attend classes three to four days a week, and on the other days they do paid work in fields relevant to their studies.

One example is the Amal Energy Tech secondary school, which is run by the Amal network in collaboration with Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), the state-owned electric utility. Amal Energy Tech is a new technological secondary school where the focus is on subjects related to energy, electrical engineering, mechanics and the environment. It is located at IEC’s training centre in Hadera. The establishment of a vocational secondary school that operates alongside IEC enables the teaching of values and soft skills that are in line with the values, culture and heritage of IEC, such as reliability, integrity and commitment to hard work.

The new school aspires to provide its graduates with a vocational certificate and government licence that is compatible with the Ministry of Labour’s degree. It also awards a technology-oriented matriculation certificate based on 14 study units, which forms the basis for acquiring an advanced technological education and a technological or practical engineering degree. IEC gives priority to the employment of the school's graduates after their IDF service. Employment is conditional on meeting the basic employment requirements. In addition to being eligible for a matriculation certificate, graduates of the various technological training tracks may also be eligible for a technological qualification certificate once they have completed their studies.

Amal also runs schools at IDF bases and conducts technological programmes for the Israeli Air Force and other corps. In addition, it forms partnerships with hi-tech companies, industrial companies and start-ups. Students take part in these programmes to work and gain experience and/or join projects with mentors in industry.

ORT runs six schools that operate adjacent to factories. Its students train in factory work for two days a week and also tutor younger students. In addition, industrial companies (such as Toyota) ‘adopt’ ORT schools and train and employ their students.

Other programmes that strive to connect industry and education are: Starter, a training and tutoring programme for industry; the Hachshara B’Hatama programme; the Shovarim L’Ma'asikim programme; and the Class in the Factory programme. The on-the-job training programme Miktzoa L’Chaim focuses on training soldiers in the technological and logistics corps of the IDF throughout their military service and in the period before release. The programme teaches them professions that are needed in the labour market and in industry, and helps with job placement in industry.

In addition, Israel has various programmes that promote technological education by linking up with the working environment. One of the programmes will establish three additional technology centres in 2020. Education programmes will be updated in collaboration with employers, and employers will be involved in the internship programmes for students in industry.

ORT has been leading the iSTEAM programme (innovation, science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) for the last three years. This programme combines learning in a multidisciplinary environment with entrepreneurship and ‘maker spaces’. Using the project-based learning (PBL) approach, students develop innovative and creative products that serve the needs of the community and society. In addition to PBL, the iSTEAM programme focuses on a multidisciplinary perspective of process: students are exposed to skills such as teamwork, meeting deadlines, presenting ideas and thinking about design. They are encouraged to be determined and daring, and to reflect on the process.

The entire iSTEAM learning process works hand-in-hand with ORT’s learning management system. This system provides a unique response to the pedagogical characteristics and needs of the students and teachers and helps to organise and structure the educational experience. In preparing the programme, significant emphasis was placed on teacher training and on-site coaching. This includes teacher leaders and school coordinators as well as the teaching staff. Some of the trained teachers will serve as process experts, while others will become content experts.

Over the last two years, ORT has collaborated with Open Valley (a company that supports and assists start-ups). This collaboration has enabled students to visit shared workplaces; study entrepreneurship and innovative and creative thinking; and obtain career guidance in their schools from mentors involved in start-ups. In addition, a course is held for teacher leaders. Students have benefited from tutoring by eight MIT students who have assisted the iSTEAM learning processes in all participating schools.

The technological education networks ensure the development of future-oriented learning programmes. In Israel, Amal was a pioneer in leading and establishing entrepreneurship centres for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

In order to achieve groundbreaking results and maximise students’ potential, the Amal network provides a unique programme that accelerates studies and pushes students towards success, both in their area of expertise and in the skills that they need to establish start-ups and lead state-of-the-art companies in Israel.

Innovative and entrepreneurial education prepares young people for innovation in the business world and in industry. In its innovation centres, Amal works with students in two areas. The first area enhances their advanced technological abilities and teaches them advanced technological and scientific skills. The second area empowers and trains students in soft skills, which are also vital for students to succeed, realise their potential and compete at a global level. The innovation centres provide students with the following skills: public speaking (for potential investors, job interviews, elevator pitches) and spoken English; teamwork; an understanding of finance and marketing at a high level; digital proficiency; the ability to cope with clients’ questions and problems in the real world and, in particular, the ability to cope with failure and grow from it.

The connection between education and industry is a growth engine for creating young entrepreneurial leaders in Israel. The students turn original ideas into concrete enterprises, based on their own planning and development skills. They work with mentors from industry and business, and with representatives of specific technology units in the IDF and the academic world. For example, in the start-up centre in Be'er Sheva, Dr Nir Nissim, a world-renowned cyber expert and lecturer at Ben Gurion University, heads up the cyber studies department.

Each student in the entrepreneurship centres chooses a field to study at an advanced level. The fields available to the students are highly advanced and include artificial intelligence (AI), cyber technology, biomedicine, new media, drones, app development and product design using advanced technologies. The entrepreneurship centres encourage young people to think creatively and work as part of a team. They brainstorm to develop shared ideas based on the most advanced standards in academia and modern industry. The students gain experience with real-life problems and develop enterprises that enable them to bring about real change. The guiding principle is to help the community (and the outstanding students are expected to get benefit and contribute to their environment).

In each entrepreneurship centre, Amal chooses and offers two to three professional fields as anchors, depending on the school’s strong points, its opportunities for collaboration and regional needs. Each project or initiative developed by the students is in their anchor field of specialisation. The projects are conducted under the direct guidance of experts in these fields and with the professional assistance of the institutions leading the anchor field.

The Amal network specialises in providing high-quality technological education, while constantly renewing and adapting its programmes to the labour market. Amal works in collaboration with hi-tech companies, international businesses and advanced technology start-ups to provide significant added value to its students. Examples are the current collaboration with Cisco, which focuses on the entrepreneurship process and competition; cooperation with Microsoft to include AI studies in the curriculum; and cooperation with elite IDF corps on a big data and AI pilot study. Amal was the first network to form a partnership with Apple and integrate the use of iPads and iPhones as an integral part of its study programmes. Its cooperation with Check Point (a multinational provider of software and hardware products for IT security), which hires students at its innovation centre, has received many accolades. In another partnership, MIT students run innovation workshops in English for Amal students.

The network develops technological and scientific thought among its students, teaches them how to cope with complex technological and real-world problems, and ensures their success in this field. For example, Amal students won first place awards in the international SAGE youth innovation competition two years in a row (2017 and 2018).

Amal has vast experience in leading projects that combine diverse technological fields, as is common today in the engineering and academic world and in knowledge-based industries. This includes active participation in the Ministry of Education’s pioneering experiment to combine three advanced technology programmes (at the Amal Hadera Comprehensive for the Arts and Sciences and the Amal Ramot in Be'er Sheva). The ORT network schools also run this multidisciplinary educational programme, which combines several study tracks.                                            

Students in technology programmes may pursue some 20 vocational fields. These are generally divided into three main types: engineering, technological and vocational. In the 2017/18 academic year, 54 040 secondary school students, comprising 35% of students in technological education, were enrolled in engineering tracks; 60 006, comprising 39% of students in technological education, were enrolled in technology tracks; and 40 709, comprising 26% of students in technological education, were enrolled in vocational programmes. Since 2011, the number of students in the engineering programmes has risen by more than a third.

In the 2015/16 academic year, 62.5% of 12th grade graduates in technology programmes in Jewish schools and 59.2% of 12th grade graduates in technology programmes in Arab schools were eligible for a matriculation certificate. The eligibility rate for technology programmes in both Jewish and Arab schools has risen since 2010 and in 2016 the eligibility rate in both communities was higher than the general average for students in that community. However, the differences between students in the Jewish technology programmes and students in the Arab technology programmes remained constant.

The eligibility rate for matriculation certificates among graduates of engineering programmes in technological education (89.2%) was significantly higher than the eligibility rate among students in technology (52%) and vocational (45.4%) programmes. Rates of eligibility for a matriculation certificate are highest in biotechnology and technological science. About 95% of 12th grade students who graduated from these tracks in 2016 were eligible for a matriculation certificate. On the other hand, in 2016, approximately 30% or fewer of 12th grade graduates in education, computerised production systems and hotel studies were eligible for a matriculation certificate.

Students who complete their education in technology tracks and meet the relevant Ministry of Education requirements are entitled to a technological qualification certificate at one of three levels. According to Ministry of Education data, in 2016/17, about 49.7% of 12th grade technological education graduates were entitled to a technological qualification certificate. About 38% were entitled to a qualification certificate at Level 1 or above, which also includes matriculation eligibility in a technology-related subject. Of students in engineering tracks, 58% were eligible for qualification certificates at the end of their studies, compared to 45% of students in technology tracks and 44% of students in vocational tracks. Some of the technological education programmes are delivered in vocational schools affiliated with the Unit for Youth Training in the Ministry of Labour’s Department of Vocational Training. Students at vocational schools combine their studies with paid work. In the 2017/18 academic year, 10 723 students were enrolled in vocational schools, including 2 514 girls and 5 775 boys in the Arab community. The number of students in vocational schools is on a downward trend.

The structure of study and training programmes in Israel offers structural equal opportunities in study courses and programmes offered to citizens. The education system provides a variety of study programmes in schools throughout the country and offers advanced technology programmes both in the centre of Israel and at the periphery. Israel defines some areas as ‘social periphery’ areas, so there are many examples of leading innovation and training centres in cities and villages in the Negev (e.g. Dimona, Rahat, Be'er Sheva, Hura) and the north (e.g. Kisra, Tiberias, Haifa, Nahariya) that offer educational solutions to diverse sectors of the population (e.g. ultra-Orthodox people, Bedouin people , women).

The Ministry of Labour runs many colleges throughout Israel, including at the periphery, for practical engineers. MAHAT offers practical engineering courses to Bedouins in the Negev, providing them with scholarships for living expenses. In addition, MAHAT runs preparatory programmes in the area of technology for ultra-Orthodox men and provides them with support scholarships during their studies.

Programmes for the 13th and 14th grades in colleges are an important tool for lifelong learning. On completion of their studies, graduates are awarded a Level 5 degree in practical engineering. This training is important for Israeli industry, given the severe lack of engineers in the labour market.

The IDF offers courses and post-graduate programmes that are partially recognised for technicians and practical engineers. Courses offered by software companies, such as Cisco or Microsoft, are also partially recognised for technicians and practical engineers. Once they have been released from the army and integrated into the workforce, young people and adults are offered study options through training centres located throughout Israel. For example, Amal and ORT colleges offer a variety of technological and vocational courses and post-graduate degrees.

Challenges to lifelong learning:

• lack of positions for apprenticeships and on-the-job training;
• severe shortage of practical engineers;
• attraction of weaker populations and minorities to advanced technology studies versus the tendency to offer vocational training courses in traditional subjects (such as those leading to qualification as a car mechanics or electrician for example).

The integration of the Israeli market into the international economy demands a skilled and professional workforce that is adapted to the needs of industry. Israel must build systems that provide updated estimates and tools to plan the channelling of public investment into vocational education and training. These processes require the involvement of all factors and stakeholders in the design and implementation of policies, and the creation of knowledgeable communities and partnerships that work constantly to update vocational education. The education and training systems must be separated from the socio-economic situation and must rely on the personal abilities, talents and professional skills of each individual.

Vocational training must be treated as a social benefit to which each citizen is entitled and which accompanies the individual throughout their professional lifecycle. In parallel, the quality of training and content must meet the needs of industry and the market. These systems must create a continuity of responses, from vocational education to training processes and qualification for a profession, and continuing on to investment in updating and improving vocational knowledge and worker mobility.

Equal opportunities in technological and vocational education in Israel

In Israel, education is compulsory from the age of 3 until the age of 18. This requires the education system to use creative and revolutionary thinking regarding advanced and significant learning methods for students in Israeli society. One result of this is the very low dropout rate and the key fact that 96% of children and adolescents in Israel are enrolled in the education system.

The Israeli education system in general, and the Ministry of Education in particular, regards equal opportunity as extremely important and focuses much attention on this issue. All students have the opportunity to study for a high-level matriculation and obtain qualifications following their studies. The system offers a wide range of levels with a varying number of study units (between one and five), and students in all subjects and at all levels may register for these exams.

The vocational training system is the main alternative for young people who encounter difficulties in the Ministry of Education’s formal secondary school education system or are expelled from this system. It enables students to acquire a profession and vocational experience during their studies, thus improving their chances of occupational and social integration in the future. From an organisational perspective, the main activities covered by the vocational training programmes aimed at young people are offered in technological schools belonging to vocational education networks, while designated study programmes are offered to children from low socio-economic families.

The Israeli education system offers study programmes and special classes for students who need additional and personalised assistance. Special classes enable students to learn in smaller groups; more hours are devoted to certain subjects and there is an emphasis on passing the matriculation exams successfully. Even if students are not eligible for a full matriculation certificate, they can accumulate points over a period of time and combine subjects and collect units until they qualify for a secondary school graduation certificate. Thus, we see that the Israeli education system and networks work to preserve equal opportunities through diverse study tracks that are relevant to the students’ daily lives.

Weaker populations (such as ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations) that have the highest dropout rates are accepted in network schools that award vocational degrees and provide practical training. These schools offer studies in fields such as autotronics and automotive technology. Vocational training in the Arab community is very important, compared to the Jewish community, where greater accessibility to technology tracks is apparent.

The various frameworks offer scholarships to cover expenses, allocate hours for extra help, and encourage collaboration with non-profit organisations in an attempt to make educational opportunities accessible to the needy and to marginal populations in Israeli society.

MAHAT is a partner in the national programme for young people at risk, providing support and assistance to practical engineering students. The graduation rate from MAHAT programmes is 55%, and the number of students receiving diplomas is increasing at a constant rate each year.

As stated above, three levels of technological qualification certificates were adopted at the beginning of the 2016/17 academic year. Therefore, based on Ministry of Education statistics, 74,331 12th grade graduates (about 49.7%) were eligible for a technological qualification certificate in 2017/18. Of the 12th grade graduates, 18,800 (about 83%) were eligible for a Level 3 or higher qualification certificate, which includes eligibility for a matriculation certificate.

Accessibility at educational institutions in Israel

The Israeli Accessibility Law requires public spaces and businesses to provide full accessibility. For this reason, vocational training and study programmes are also required by law to enable accessibility to all students. Technological colleges have support centres with some funding for students with learning and other disabilities. There are two types of access through support centres: some colleges have their own support centres, while others take advantage of their proximity to academic institutions and use their support services.

In accordance with the Accessibility Law, all colleges are accessible to students with disabilities. There is widespread support for weaker populations (Bedouin, ultra-Orthodox, Arab women, young people at risk). The Association for Discharged Soldiers and the Ministry of Education’s assistance fund also offer support to students. College initiatives exist to fundraise and distribute scholarships to students.

Employment of graduates of the technological and vocational education system

On leaving secondary school, most Israeli students are drafted into military service. The standard period of service is two and a half years for women and three years for men. The technological education helps them integrate into technological corps and roles in the IDF. Once they have completed their military service, students may study at institutions of higher education, or attend MAHAT technological colleges to obtain technological or practical engineering degrees.

MAHAT has initiated reforms to improve the compatibility of training with employers’ needs and to encourage collaborations in training processes, so that graduates enter the workforce with the most relevant and up-to-date knowledge. MAHAT works closely with employers and runs programmes to integrate employers into training processes. This training enables graduates to obtain valuable experience in their professions while they study, and facilitates quicker integration into the workplace. These programmes improve the initial stages of work, shorten the on-the-job training period and enable graduates to become productive faster.

MAHAT also promotes training models that guarantee work placements. These models help to encourage employers to offer classes and influence learning content, so that, even during their studies, students acquire the relevant knowledge and experience they need for the jobs they are trained to do. In addition, MAHAT cooperates with companies in the market to develop work processes that will enable students to successfully complete their graduation projects in industry and ensure that they obtain practical experience. The Ministry of Labour’s career guidance centres are directed more at technology-related professions. They implement measures to establish partnerships and provide knowledge that will help to guide young people towards employment in the relevant fields.

In the past year, two studies were published on the effects of technological education on the success of its graduates in the labour market. In November 2017, an analysis published in the Ministry of Finance’s weekly review found that salaries for engineering graduates coming from technological education were higher than the salaries earned by graduates of theoretical education studies with similar characteristics, but the salaries earned by graduates of vocational tracks were lower. A Bank of Israel study published in December 2017 found that new technology tracks in Arab villages during the 1990s had a positive effect on reducing dropout rates, but did not affect the rate of eligibility for a matriculation certificate, the number of employees and the income level of graduates.

Continuing vocational education and training

Despite all the recent developments, a notable shortcoming is the lack of a system capable of making useful labour market information available to education and training planners. Israel collects data on the labour market, including data on job vacancies, and participates in the international labour market survey. However, although some of the data available is used for local or sectoral purposes, there is no formal national mechanism for processing such labour market data to make it accessible to education and training policy makers for the purposes of planning and supplying education and training.

The National TVET Committee was established in 2010 to respond to the need for better mechanisms to forecast and regularly monitor skills. This coordinating body, supported by the unions and technological education networks, aims to establish closer and more structured relations between the education and business sectors, including all the actors involved in human capital development (and the army). It plays a significant role in defining strategy and policy and in developing plans for advancing TVET, promoting research and ensuring employers’ active involvement at both central and local level. The EU's regional project Governance for Employability in the Mediterranean (GEMM) was the inspiration for Israel's National TVET Committee.

Technical and vocational education in Israel uses a variety of educational methods that are adapted to specific subjects. These methods combine frontal teaching, project-based learning (PBL), computerised teaching and the integration of students in industry. They also involve splitting students into smaller groups for practical learning in laboratories, workshops and entrepreneurial centres. The goal is to create a diverse learning experience with updated content that is adapted to the 21st century. The purpose of all educational organisations in Israel is to create relevant study options and interesting, diverse content that is connected to ‘real life’.

About six months ago, Israel joined the OECD’s Future of Education and Skills 2030 programme, which aims to ensure high-quality, comprehensive and equal education and promote opportunities for lifelong learning by 2030. The OECD 2030 programme is highly likely to affect procedures in the education system, both directly and indirectly. In particular, it will affect curriculums and international exams. The R&D, Trials and Initiatives Department of the Pedagogic Administration will represent the State of Israel in this programme.

The project was initiated as a result of the need for sustainable development. This term describes a socio-economic process and relates to the principle of meeting human development goals while at the same time preserving the environment, so that, in addition to current human needs, future human needs in the near and distant future are also met. The Brundtland Commission’s definition of sustainable development is the most well-known and frequently quoted: ‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainable development includes three elements: environmental, economic and socio-political. Some add culture as the fourth element: cultural (and/or multicultural).

One of the greatest problems facing the Israeli education system today is the lack of teachers in primary, junior secondary and secondary schools, mainly in subjects such as science, mathematics and English. This results in schools not offering classes or appointing teachers who are not suitably qualified, resulting in direct harm to the students. In light of this shortage, the Ministry of Education recently issued updated memorandums addressing the process of obtaining a teacher’s licence in biology, chemistry and physics. The qualification requirements for teaching these subjects are being lowered. Possibilities for studying and obtaining a teacher’s licence will be expanded for this year only.

According to the State Comptroller’s report published last May, the Jewish community is due to experience a shortage of 3 065 teachers in the 2020/21 academic year: 626 English teachers, 383 mathematics teachers and 239 Hebrew language teachers. The situation in the Arab community is more positive, but a shortage of about 2 500 teachers is expected there. The State Comptroller also discussed the shortage of high-quality teachers in mathematics, English and Hebrew, noting that about 40% of mathematics and English teachers in primary and secondary schools had the appropriate training.

Israel suffers from a serious shortage of technology teachers, expert lecturers and tutors in technological and vocational subjects. This is because technological and vocational education generally requires teachers with an engineering degree and some experience in industry. However, potential salaries in the labour market are much more attractive than what the Ministry of Education can offer its teachers. The state offers no special monetary incentives to engineers and experts to teach. In the absence of such incentives, all teachers in the State of Israel earn a uniform salary, regardless of the subject(s) they teach and based only on their degree and years of experience. Some schools are unable to offer technology tracks because of the shortage of teachers. The Teachers’ Union in Israel cooperates with the Ministry of Education and the networks to improve teaching quality and teachers' salaries in technology-related subjects, but at this stage there is no real solution.

The ‘Significant Learning’ reform was first introduced in the education system about three years ago. It combines innovative teaching methods, learning through research and project-based learning. The Department of Computerised Technology and Information Systems is preparing practical training sessions to train teachers to teach using state-of-the-art methods, mainly through projects. With this method, the students become the centre of the learning process, while the teacher becomes a tutor.

ORT and Amal have major teacher training centres, where they provide professional courses to improve the quality of teaching among thousands of teachers in the networks’ schools and throughout the education system by coordinating with technological education supervisors.

In recent years, online learning has become an increasingly popular methodology for all subjects, and teachers have undergone training in this area. Websites in each field are available to teachers to support online education and provide lesson material, presentations and other teaching material. This process was greeted with great enthusiasm, mainly within the technological education networks. From there, it has expanded to the rest of the education system. For example, the Ministry of Education’s technological and vocational education website provides lesson content, teaching methods and methodology, presentations and matriculation exams with solutions. The website enables teachers to share their own material and teachers receive monetary benefits for sharing relevant and high-quality material on the site.

For the past five years, the Amal network has been a pioneer in a community experiment conducted in 12 schools using the High Tech High (HTH) method. This method was developed in San Diego and focuses on technology projects with an emphasis on social involvement and connection with the community. Learning is connected to the real world and includes experience in developing real-life projects in industry. In Israel, this community experiment is operating as a six-year experiment. Some 7 000 students participate in a peer learning process that builds relationships with expanding circles in their communities and with their teachers.

The education networks are ensuring the development of study programmes that are adapted to future learning. Together with the Ministry of Education, they are creating new and relevant projects, such as cyber security, robotics, software engineering, medicine and other highly demanded and prestigious subjects, as well as arts fields, such as communications, industrial design and product design.

The Amal and ORT technological education systems emphasise relevant and current learning environments, and support them with high-level workshops on subjects such as electrical engineering, mechanics, autotronics, cooking and restaurant management. For example, the ORT IAI Technological Education Centre is located in a factory, where students study different subjects relating to the company’s products. Amal Ramat David, located in an Israeli Air Force base, has changed its face and is now a large education campus, which runs advanced workshops and provides shared spaces for innovative learning.

In the past two years, Amal, ORT and other technology networks have upgraded their learning spaces in technological schools and transformed them into appealing spaces that combine a variety of study opportunities. This includes offering students an opportunity to work on projects; providing apprenticeships in advanced technologies; and delivering a learning environment that conveys warmth, which is also of the utmost pedagogical importance and crucial in improving the image of vocational education. The schools are currently upgrading their automotive workshops and provide practical experience in hybrid vehicles, diagnostic tools and the most sophisticated improvements in this field.

Teachers in technological and vocational education have been exposed to three new fields:

• knowledge of engineering fields;
• comprehensive training in updating teaching methodologies, with a focus on project-based learning;
• integrating computerised pedagogy throughout all stages of teaching and learning.

The Ministry of Labour requires that every technology college for technicians and practical engineers meet the required criteria in terms of the profiles of their lecturers, laboratories and professional and physical infrastructure. If they do not meet these requirements, they do not receive a permit to offer their study programmes. Each college conducts training courses and professional seminars on teaching methods for its own lecturers.

Learning infrastructure

As the main supplier of technological education, the Ministry of Education invests considerable resources in improving workshops, laboratories and the learning environment, updating them to correlate with developments in content. At the same time, the ministry invests in training teachers to develop new and updated study programmes that can be adapted to the needs of the market, industry and the IDF in the 21st century.

The Ministry of Education gives priority to classes offered in technological and vocational education institutions, providing them with a bigger than that granted to theory-based classes. Students in workshops and laboratories enjoy working in small groups and receive personal support. In addition, in the past two years, the Ministry of Education has opened two technology centres, at a cost of NIS 25 million each, in Be'er Sheva and Haifa. In the coming year, it will open another three technology centres in Ashdod, Holon and Taibe. Due to the significant investment that has been made, these centres have been equipped with state-of-the-art industry-level equipment that could not be afforded by individual schools in those cities. The teachers and tutors in the centres are hand-picked and are leaders in their field. The centres are intended to offer practical experience and training to all students in those fields, and act as a bridge between the schools and industry in the areas in which the centres are located.

The technological education networks are also investing significant resources in the learning environment, both in the physical infrastructure and in teaching methods. They are developing learning programmes and materials that are appropriate to the demands of the 21st century. The networks are investing in building learning spaces, establishing entrepreneurial centres within the schools, and constructing state-of-the-art and computerised laboratories. They are integrating innovative technologies in their education systems, such as Google tools, iPads, 3D printers, laser cutters and equipment that allowing the establishment of ‘maker spaces’ and the creation of enrichment areas.

One example is the Shimon Peres Secondary School in south Tel Aviv (formerly Shevah Mofet), which is part of the Amal network and was established with an investment of NIS 120 million, the highest amount ever invested in one school in the country. As principal Max Sivan said, ‘I don’t want you to build a school – I want you to build a place where children will feel the atmosphere of Tel Aviv’, meaning an atmosphere of high-tech, start-ups and innovation.

The multidisciplinary school provides its students with a variety of study programmes, including biotechnology, physics, chemistry and biology, plastic arts, cinema and music. Some of the programmes involve cooperation with the IDF marine and intelligence corps, and with private companies such as information security giant Check Point, with the intention of recruiting talented students to join their staff.

Combining study and work

To date, industry has not received any monetary incentives from the state to integrate students into the workforce. Students have limited time to work, as they are drafted into the IDF immediately after leaving secondary school. Thus, a factory has no assurance that its investment will be returned three years later and that the graduate will return to work there after his or her release from the military. Even so, there has been a growing trend in the Ministry of Education to start integrating work-based learning as a valuable learning experience (not for monetary recompense). This is expressed in the integration of students in industry in all fields and at all study levels. Thus, for example, new models around the world are being examined and we are learning how to integrate them appropriately into the Israeli education system. Although technological education in Israel does not have a sufficiently positive reputation, its relevance and quality of performance have improved in recent years. There are still gaps between market demand and the skills learned by students in the technological and vocational system. These gaps will gradually diminish as progress is made in the implementation of reforms in the coming years.

Israel’s Ministry of Education is in charge of the assessment of students' skills and knowledge in all technology tracks. Each year, the ministry prepares a set of external matriculation examinations both at secondary school level and for the practical engineer certification (diploma).

Furthermore, the ministry is also in charge of licences for schools that provide training for technological education in secondary schools (10th to 12th s) and in junior technology college (13th and 14th grades). Licences are given to qualified teachers and qualified schools. A qualified school is a school that has qualified teachers to teach advanced technology subjects in both secondary schools and in technology colleges. In addition, each school is evaluated with regard to the quality of technology labs and workshops.

With regard to the availability and adequacy of quality assurance arrangements, measures and practices, the Ministry of Education has a unit dealing with the measurement and assessment of the entire education system: RAMA. The ministry has a pool of training and course providers that are carefully selected via tenders according to professional, pedagogical and legal criteria and standards. The Ministry of Labour uses ‘satisfaction surveys’ to assess and obtain feedback for its youth and adult training programmes. These surveys are completed by graduates of the training centres. Levels of student satisfaction, obtained via internet surveys, professional supervision and statistical reports, are ranked. System failures or initiatives that have been ‘too successful’ all vocational units are identified and the data is analysed in order to optimise existing training processes in the various study tracks for young people and adults. The large technology networks also have well-developed courses. Through Afikim, ORT provides teacher training for all teachers, including ORT teachers in conjunction with the Chief Inspectors for technology subjects. The budget is provided by the Ministry of Education. AMAL has its PTC (Pedagogical Technological Centre), which trains its teachers and offers in-service courses for all technology teachers. The courses cover content and the integration of advanced technologies in teaching practice.

The Ministry of Education requires that all teachers have at least a BA degree and a teaching certificate. Some exceptions are permitted in vocational education, mainly due to the lack of relevance of an academic degree and the requirement for extensive professional experience in a specific field. Nevertheless, the shortage of high-quality teachers who have professional experience and teaching skills and the difficulty in recruiting such teachers is apparent in some fields. In recent years, the Ministry of Education has developed a retraining course for engineers to enter the teaching profession. Next year, it plans to offer teaching courses for young practical engineers (outstanding graduates who have completed 14th grade) and mainstream teaching courses (for practical engineers with experience).

Technology networks have a strategic goal: to improve teaching and learning. The Ministry of Education has a unit responsible for the evaluation and measurement of the entire system – RAMA, the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education. It also has a database of suppliers for training courses and seminars. These suppliers have been carefully chosen by tender and meet all pedagogical, professional and legal criteria and standards. The Ministry of Labour runs a process of evaluation and feedback on the training system for adults and young people. This is done through online satisfaction surveys conducted among graduates of the training centres funded by the ministry; online satisfaction surveys conducted among students; professional supervision; measurement and evaluation procedures using statistical reports; identification of failures or initiatives that have been ‘too successful’ in the system; and analysis of data from professional units. This data is used to improve and upgrade the existing training processes in the various tracks for adults and young people. The large technology networks also run advanced training and seminar systems.

Key 21st century skills required by the EU have been integrated into various areas of reform (software engineering, electronic engineering, automotive engineering, computer-aided design and mechatronics, water technology engineering, chemical engineering, and industrial and management engineering), which will be implemented starting in the 2019/20 academic year. In the 2020/21 academic year, they will be integrated into additional areas of reform and in 2021/22, in all remaining areas of the programme.

There have been no significant changes in the division of government responsibility for the technological and vocational education system since the last Torino Process report. In Israel, the Ministry of Education is responsible for VET studies in about 1 000 secondary schools, and about 150 000 students are enrolled at all levels of technological education. The Ministry of Labour is responsible for about 11 000 students who study at various levels of VET in its respective educational institutions. In recent years, the Department of Vocational Training at the Ministry of Labour has strived to emphasise its role as an integrator of vocational training at a national level. As such, the Pedagogical Council and vocational committees organisational change in their department, which will institutionalise collaboration with employers and increase cooperation among all players in vocational training. In the case of young people, on the other hand, the Ministry of Education made a strategic request to have vocational schools transferred to its authority. The process commenced in 2015 with the transfer of eight schools. The ministry hopes that, by 2020, all students in Israel up to the age of 18 will be under its supervision as part of a programme entitled ‘Giving Equal Opportunities’ (mentioned in the last Torino Process report).

From the viewpoint of the State Institute for Technological Training at the Ministry of Labour, the initiative for a new policy comes from high-level decision makers, together with relevant stakeholders in industry, the labour market and workers’ unions. The quality of VET suppliers is being examined by the regulator, MAHAT, which is measuring general achievements, diploma percentages and dropout rates.

Many institutions and organisations want to take part in the advancement of technological education. They exhibit a positive attitude to collaboration, which will improve training procedures, entry to the labour market, system results and diploma levels, and limit dropout rates.

About 90% of all TVET students in Israel are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education; about 10% are under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour. The distribution of functions between them is not as clear-cut as it should be. The lack of clear VET legislation plays a part in this and the situation has developed over the years in accordance with the changing power relations between the parties involved. Initially, the Ministry of Economy’s VET department was the main actor responsible for VET, especially when it came to adult training. In time, other actors entered the picture, including more established entities such as the large employers' associations, Not for Profit Organisations and philanthropic bodies wishing to meet the needs not met by the state. There is full transparency with regard to the Ministry of Education and maximum involvement both internally and externally. From the point of view of VET providers, there are good ties with the Chief Inspectors and other policy makers. However, beyond the partnership established to develop curricula, there is little influence on VET policy. Information is shared and ideas are exchanged, all of which affects strategy. However, the latest reform decided on by the Ministry of Education is detrimental to VET in several respects. For example, the elimination of matriculation exams in 10th grade is very disruptive for the Tech-Mat (Technicians with Matriculation) programme, which enables students to complete secondary school with both a matriculation certificate and a technician diploma.

Certain sectors of the economy are most active in shaping and participating in planning and implementing the provision of skills through VET: the corporate sector and the IDF are the most dominant. In addition there is an increase in the willingness of industrial entities to be involved in VET. Although a formal system of social partnership has not been established, employers are represented through the frequent involvement – both formal and informal – of the MAI in a wide range of TVET policy development, implementation and reform activities. In addition to significant and frequent informal contacts, the MAI is recognised by the government as the representative organisation of the industrial sector in the Israeli economy. It represents the country's larger employers and their organisations and thus makes a significant contribution to economic, labour market, social and educational decisions. It is often called on by the government to engage in training issues, and has built up its own organisation to handle certain TVET issues. It also has a considerable presence in national forums. Its activities range from lobbying to co-funding initiatives. It aims to increase the number of students learning in a range of TVET programmes in the TVET system through sponsorship and employer and business engagement across a wide spectrum of the economy, and to improve the quality and relevance of programmes. Thus, for example, the MAI is represented on the discipline committees mentioned above in connection with the Ministry of Education's curriculum development activity. It has also established induction and training arrangements for its representatives who take part in the discipline committees.

In spite of the extent to which the MAI is involved on an informal and case-by-case basis with the TVET authorities and networks, it has expressed the view that more formal and systematic partnership arrangements would improve TVET governance and improve the robustness of the current, more ad hoc arrangements.

Evaluating governance arrangements

In Israel, the Ministry of Education bears most of the responsibility for technological and vocational education. It is the second-largest ministry in the country (after the Ministry of Defence). The ministry is responsible for ensuring that the efficiency and relevance of all technological and vocational programmes are at maximum levels and are adapted to the needs of the market.

The entities involved in planning, implementing, supervising and evaluating the technological and vocational education system under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Organisational structure of Science & Technology Administration in the Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Labour is quite heavily involved in VET through the Department of Vocational Training. The department is increasing its level of involvement in VET at a national level. It has the authority to award vocational certificates on behalf of the state and does this in a wide range of fields. The department dictates the study programmes for these subjects and supervises their implementation. It sets and holds vocational exams, and decides which subjects will be included in the list of recognised subjects that will entitle graduates in these fields to a state-awarded qualification certificate. The department receives requests to recognise various levels of new fields and training courses that do not appear in the programme database and undertakes a comprehensive process to examine whether there is a need for these fields at a national level.

 

Organisational chart showing the breakdown of manpower training and development, Ministry of Labour (See Chart in the report in PDF p. 38).

The Department of Vocational Training is involved in training activities for other ministries, such as the driving theory course, which is performed under the auspices of the Ministry of Transportation. A qualification department was recently established at the Administration of Technological Education in the Ministry of Education. In order to ensure inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour, the inter-ministerial team for improving the accreditation process recommended establishing a steering committee to enable mutual recognition between the education and training systems at secondary school level, and to formulate a programme to connect the relevant information systems of both ministries.

Technological education is about 40% more expensive than theoretical education. This is due to the following reasons: rapid changes in technology must be integrated into the curriculum and teachers’ seminars; investment in state-of-the-art equipment; study groups are smaller, mainly in internship programmes. For these reasons, a shortage of resources affects VET to a great extent. Israel suffers from a severe shortage of government resources for VET, as stated in many comparative reports and studies, including the previous Torino Process reports.

Even so, the problem in Israel is not only at resource level, but also in incentives, partnerships and the system structure. There is a belief that the question of resources is secondary to the matter of incentives and the division of responsibility. According to the Ministry of Education, only a ministry with high budgets, such as itself, can meet these demands.

 

The National TVET Committee is a mechanism designed to improve education and training governance. It is a platform that coordinates all stakeholders and coordinates the demand for and the supply of skills. Some possible scenarios could be elaborated for the future of this important committee.

The National TVET Committee was founded in 2010. It includes representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy, the ORT and AMAL educational networks, the MAI and the General Federation of Labour.

Another mechanism designed to improve education and training governance is the national qualifications framework working group.

The state’s multi-year budgets for technological education are set by government decisions and in budgetary agreements with the Ministry of Finance. Budgets are continuously growing in the understanding that higher budgets are needed for technological education because of the importance of integrating various populations in the labour force and the shortage of technicians and practical engineers in the market.

The budgetary department at the Ministry of Finance, together with the Institute of Technological Training at the Ministry of Labour, determines the budget that supports about 60 technology colleges that train technicians and practical engineers throughout Israel.

Diploma rates are not high and are awarded to about 55% of graduates. In order to improve these rates, a budgeting model based on output has been built – a college receives a larger budget as its diploma rates increase. Budgetary sources for technological education include state support (most of the budget) and individual tuition fees.

Programmes to encourage industry involvement in the training of technicians and practical engineers by giving limited budgetary incentives have recently been implemented. These programmes include budgetary support for NGOs.

As stated above, the budget is allocated to 60 technology colleges according to a budgetary model that includes an output element – the diploma rate. In addition, as part of the reform recently approved for the technological education system, large colleges will receive additional budgets for training and infrastructure.

Israel now understands that its technological education and training system requires additional funding. Recently approved reforms therefore include significant budgetary increases. The budget is allocated in accordance with the principle of equality but is also based on the college’s results and performance.

Israel is also pursuing a policy of improving fairness in the allocation of financial resources, and grants for national priorities will be awarded to colleges located in geographically peripheral areas. In addition, increased budgets are given for training special populations, such as the Bedouin and ultra-Orthodox populations.