Israel’s new government has set a target of increasing the number of workers in the hi-tech sector to 15% of the total workforce. That would be about 50% more than currently work in hi-tech.
How can Israel grow its hi-tech workforce? - analysis
Filling positions isn't easy, and hi-tech executives regularly complain that there are not enough qualified programmers and engineers available in Israel.
Second, Vitan said, the government should make efforts to move the country’s tech companies away from the center of the country, where most are concentrated, toward cities and periphery towns that are not developed in this regard. “Even in Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, students graduating the Technion must move to Tel Aviv, since there is very little hi-tech there,” he said. “If you offer companies grants and subsidies for moving to places like Kiryat Gat or Yokneam, you can draw workers from the center, which is very congested, and develop new tech ecosystems.”
Third, Vitan said, students learning technical skills can find it difficult to find jobs because most companies want workers with experience. If the government would create a program incentivizing start-ups to hire junior help by subsidizing salaries, it could be a win-win for everyone.
“When I studied for my master’s degree, I interned at a company for free,” Vitan said. “Most people can’t do that. But if the state subsidizes interns, or maybe splits their salaries 50/50 with the companies, then companies can save on labor while workers are given the opportunity to learn on the job, and the hi-tech sector would be able to grow more rapidly. It might be expensive, but it would help Israel achieve its objectives faster.”