The Ministry of Economy has awarded two Israeli NGOs, ITWorks and Tsofen, a 10 million NIS tender for 3 years to increase integration of Arab professionals in Israel’s hi-tech industry. The tender is part of a Ministry program launched in 2012 to advance the rate and quality of Arab employment in Israel. Tsofen and ITWorks have been successful in preparing and placing qualified Arab students and graduates in hi-tech employment, as well as promoting diversity in the hi-tech industry and expansion into Arab society.
Over the next three years, ITWorks and Tsofen will examine the manpower needs of hi-tech employers in northern and central Israel where much of the Israeli Arab community is located, and guide, train and place Arab academics in hi-tech companies. ITWorks will be responsible for Israel’s central and southern regions and Tsofen work in northern Israel.
This infusion of state funds enables an unprecedented expansion of employment services for the Arab sector and opens the door to a significant number of Arab hires in the hi-tech sector. Since most hiring in the hi-tech industry is based on personal references and connections, the hope of these organizations is that this expansion will increase the number of Arabs within the industry enough so that their personal networks will be accessed and the gap in hi-tech employment between Jews and Arabs will eventually disappear.
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Do you need support integrating these resources and issues into your philanthropic, communal, or Israel education work? Reach out for consultations, connections to experts, program support, training, or to plan your next event or mission. If you’ve used our resources, tell us about your experience!