Why is the state drying up the most effective tool for reducing disparities?

Exclusive: A document by economist Natan Sheva, from the Knesset's Information and Research Center, who researched the issue of vocational training at the request of the chairman of the Labor and Welfare Committee - and revealed here for the first time, reveals worrying data about the main tool the state can bring Not happening?

Between Ashkenazi

04/01/2022

Tuesday, 04 January 2022, 09:57 Updated: 11:14

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One of the strongest issues in the socio-economic discourse in Israel over the past year has been the distribution of the fantastic capital that the high-tech industry has grown. On the one hand, the Israeli economy is blessed with a knowledgeable industry that has helped the Israeli economy overcome the corona crisis better than most countries in the world.

On the other hand, this rash also has negative effects on the gaps in the economy: the exits and high salaries in the industry, contributed (for example) to the dramatic jump in real estate prices, or in other words: Second and third for investment purposes.One

way to add more populations, more and more diverse, to the rewarding employment cycle so that they can also benefit from the boom, is through professional training.Although it is impossible to train a computer engineer in such a setting, the demand for working hands in a computerized environment is high The gap between the requirements and the level of literacy of those who are outside the work circle.

Allegedly, the State of Israel was expected to take advantage of the forced leave imposed on the economy due to the corona, to greatly strengthen the vocational training system, provide as many potential employees as possible tools to cope with the changing work environment and strengthen communication infrastructure to the fifth generation Remotely in companies based in the central region.

In practice, it turns out that budgetary dehydration, low number of trainings, and large social disparities are just some of the worrying picture emerging from a special document first revealed here and written by the Knesset Information and Research Center (at the request of MK Efrat Reitan Marom, Chairman of the Labor and Welfare Committee). The vocational training system with an emphasis on ultra-Orthodox and Hebrew society.

The document was written at the request of the chairman of the Labor and Welfare Committee, H.H.As Efrat Reytan Marom (Labor) and its importance is great because the Corona crisis has flooded the fact that it is necessary to train workers or convert them to other positions that are adapted to the needs of the labor market.

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Professional training (illustration): A key tool that, combined with a suitable communication infrastructure, can bring high-tech to the periphery and to more diverse populations (Photo: ShutterStock)

The demand for workers is rising, the number of participants in the trainings is falling

The body entrusted with vocational training on behalf of the state is the Division of Vocational Training in the Ministry of Economy and is responsible for courses and certification through government day centers that provide full funding to learners, or through part-time vouchers, by referral from the employment service or employment guidance center.

But despite the strong need with the outbreak of the Corona virus to train workers for required professions, the total number of participants in vocational training under the Ministry of Economy's working arm in 2020 compared to 2019 decreased by 34% and stood at 36,522 participants, compared to 55,562 in 2019. The decrease in the lack of budget and the damages caused due to the outbreak of the corona crisis.

To the alarming data must be added the fact that the employment policies of the various governments in the last decade have focused mainly on raising employment rates by reducing benefits in the unemployment benefit mechanism, especially for low-income earners.

The incentives included cuts in income support and child benefits, raising the retirement age, reducing unemployment benefits and tightening the conditions for receiving it, reducing taxation for low-wage earners, a work grant, reducing the rate of foreign workers and raising the minimum wage.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of workers with low experience, education and skills, without proper professional training, have joined the labor market.

During the Corona employment crisis these workers were the first to be ejected from the labor market.

This characteristic is important for understanding the assistance tools needed to return to work - especially vocational training.

Haredi men: Underrepresentation in vocational training courses (illustration) (Photo: ShutterStock)

Employment among Arabs and ultra-Orthodox

In April 2021, the Arab population numbered about 1.97 million people, constituting about 21.1% of the country's population. The proportion of ultra-Orthodox in the population according to the CBS was 14% at the end of 2016. These donors are of great importance when considering how many of these populations participate in the fact market

. On the other hand, the rate of participation in the labor force of Arab men in 2020 was about 71.3%, while in the ultra-Orthodox sector, the rate of participation in the labor force of men in 2020 was about a low rate amounting to about 51.2%.

For women, the situation is no longer alarming. During the month, the labor force participation rate of Jewish women who are not ultra-Orthodox is quite high and stands at about 85%. Only to the end of 2019 because there are no data regarding 2020 the year in which the Corona virus hit mainly in the employment market. On the other hand, the participation rate in the labor market of women in the ultra-Orthodox sector in 2020 is almost the same as the general rate and stands at about 83%.

When comparing these data with the number of participants in state-funded vocational training courses, one finds how worrying the picture is, since even so the number of Arab and ultra-Orthodox men participating in the labor market is low relative to the overall rate. For example, in 2019 the number of participants in vocational training courses budgeted by the state was about 56,000 participants out of a supply of 373 courses, a fairly low number, and yet the percentage of participants from ultra-Orthodox society was 8.4% and only about 23% of course participants belonged to the non-sector Jewish.

Even in professional training courses that will not be budgeted by the state, the situation is not alarming. In 2019, about 49,000 participated in these trainings out of a supply of about 3,300 courses. Of the proportion of participants, 28.5% were Arabs and only 5.8% were ultra-Orthodox

The most worrying figure concerns the training provided by the state in cooperation with the employer, for example, while in 2019 103 such trainings were held in which 749 participants participated, of which 123 were non-Jews and 35 ultra-Orthodox, in 2020 there were only 12 such trainings due to state budgets Only 187 participants participated.

In this context, it should be noted that some of the vocational training programs for men from the ultra-Orthodox sector also include the completion of core studies that some of them lack.

Vocational training is required among the Arab population in Israel, which is almost half below the poverty line (illustration) (Photo: ShutterStock)

The poorest: Arabs and ultra-Orthodox

The data regarding the state of poverty in Israeli society in the document are correct for 2018 and are based on data published by the National Insurance Institute.

The data show that in 2018 the percentage of Arab families living below the poverty line is 45.3%, a fairly high figure (which probably only got worse during the Corona period), also in the ultra-Orthodox families the figure is high and it stands at 42.3% compared to 18% that perfects all families. Below the poverty line in Israel.

According to the Knesset Information and Research Center, the high rate of poverty can also be attributed to the fact that employment and income levels are lower in the ultra-Orthodox and Arab sectors than in the rest of the population, this figure is of great importance the population.

MK Efrat Reitan, Chairman of the Labor and Welfare Committee: "To promote a courageous and renewed supervised examination of the entire issue of training" (Photo: Knesset Spokeswoman, Danny Shem Tov)

"There is a willingness of the government to invest"

MK Efrat Reitan Chairman of the Labor and Social Affairs Committee

: "RIC report presented to strengthen its position on the importance of vocational training and in part due to changes in the labor market in recent years and in light of the number of vacancies in the economy.

We are now facing a very good opportunity when there is a willingness of the government to adapt and invest in training according to the needs of the economy and changes in employment different.

I appeal to serve the economy further examination supervised courageous and renewed every issue of training and enhance the investment to increase labor productivity.

discussion will be held in the near future labor and welfare Committee in cooperation with the Ministry of economy and employers and all the relevant factors . "

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Tags

• Efrat Reiten

• Vocational training

• religious

• Arabs