Nearly half a million students in the upper divisions (tenth to twelfth grades) will go on a long vacation on June 20, ending only on September 1. Many are interested in working, some are looking for work "by candlelight" and yet - do not find it. In the media discourse and public space We hear mainly about the difficulties of high-tech companies in recruiting skilled workers.
Although there is a shortage of engineers and programmers, but beyond that - there are tens of thousands of vacancies in other industries that are desperate for workers: in the traditional industry, in the food and catering industry, in retail chains, retail and fashion and more.
The labor crisis, of course, harms employers, but is detrimental to the entire country: it significantly hinders potential growth in the post-Corona days when the economy is preparing for inflation, and harms the country's economy, which is in a billion-dollar deficit.
There is no reason why teenagers should not take a significant part in the job market during the holidays - only those who are interested, of course.
Parents may also prefer that children go out to work instead of being in front of screens - and thus also absorb values and sometimes even help their family economy (this is doubly important after the Bank of Israel raised the basic interest rate in the economy, which will increase mortgages and loans taken by many families in Israel).
Except in specific cases, Israeli children do not receive a financial education in an orderly manner within the education system;
Going to work, getting a salary and getting acquainted with basic concepts like "Social Security" or "Income Tax" will buy them valuable knowledge for the rest of their lives.
But for that to happen, employers and decision makers need to understand that as well.
Employers, some of whom do not yet see youth as a "workforce," need to be open-minded and understand that youth can help them - even temporarily;
It can also be a long-term investment, because maybe the youth will find interest in the field and return to work after the army where they started, which they know and love.
But more than that, decision-makers in the State of Israel must understand the potential inherent in working youth (who are not currently studying) and act proactively to increase their integration into the required places in the labor market.
This can be done by providing tax incentives for workplaces that employ teenagers, a partial state subsidy for the salary the working boy / girl receives, or perhaps a cash grant of NIS 1,000 for each employer whose teenager worked for more than a month during the big vacation.
These are just a few possible ways, and there are of course more.
But until that happens, there will be no significant change - and we will all be losers: the state, employers, youth and parents.
Adv. Amit Gross is an expert in labor law
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