JDC-Israel-TEVET: One-Stop Employment Centers (Al-Fanar)

TEVET currently oversees the operation of a NIS 200 million three-way partnership between JDC-Israel, the Israeli government (Ministry of Economy and the Prime Minister’s Office) and Yad Hanadiv Rothschild Foundation to establish One-Stop Employment Centers in 21 Arab localities throughout the country. The establishment of the centers is budgeted through a number of the government resolutions, since the government sees this as a major tool to enhance employment in Arab society. The program targets Arab “women and men, ages 18 to 60, who have either been chronically outside the workforce, employed at the lowest levels, or employed beneath their true capacity” with “a strategic emphasis on women’s employment.” The program established a new organization called Al-Fanar (“Lighthouse” in Arabic) to act as an implementing subcontractor thus ensuring Arab leadership and participation.

The Employment Centers program upgrades and scales JDC-TEVET’s employment center model, based on centers already operating in Arab localities such as Tamra, Sakhnin, Hura, and Segev Shalom. The Centers will provide services in the following three areas: (i) Guidance, support and training of the individual seeking to enter employment; (ii) Outreach and partnership with employers from the business sector and other venues of employment opportunity so as to work in parallel also on the “demand” side and (iii) Community outreach work within Arab society. Thus the One Stop Centers aim to advance a holistic approach, becoming hubs that accompany people throughout their careers, from the pre-employment through higher and professional education, placement, during unemployment periods, and retraining if necessary.