The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash HaCohen and the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Mansor Abbas agreed on a five-year plan with a budget of half a billion shekels to improve human capital in the Arab society in Israel in the short and long term
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash HaCohen, unveils a five-year plan totaling over half a billion NIS for the integration of Arab society in the fields of high-tech and science, which she agreed with MK Mansour Abbas.
In light of the severe human capital crisis in which the high-tech industry has fallen, upon assuming office, the Minister directed the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Innovation Authority, while coordinating with MK Mansour Abbas, to build a plan for the Arab society in high-tech and science as part of the national goal of 15% employment in high-tech and voluntarily Limit social leadership and reduce gaps in society.
Today, there is a notable under-representation of various sectors in high-tech: only 3% are ultra-Orthodox workers and 2% are workers from the Arab society. There is a low proportion of Arabs and Arab women who study mathematics, statistics, engineering and the other subjects required for the high-tech fields (only between 5%-10% of the graduate students in these subjects are Arabs). Today, there is a high correlation between where a person was born and their chances of working in high-tech. A boy from Umm El Fahm or Rama and a girl from Sakhnin or Acre have almost no chance of fitting into these worlds.
The plan was prepared in the last month by a joint team of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Innovation Authority and representatives from MK Mansor Abbas with the aim of producing a five-year plan that will produce a real and significant impact in Arab society. The program was formulated and includes many different aspects: measures for training employees, development of startup companies and programs that accompany all aspects of science and high-tech.
In the field of education, an individual program was agreed upon to encourage studies of the core high-tech subjects in the Arab society (in addition to the joint education program with the Minister of Education) within the framework of which they will establish and support 30 technology, space and robotics centers in the Arab sector as a supplement to the formal education system and in addition they will operate a supplementary program in the fields of space and technology that includes establishing A science museum, expansion of the "Students Build Satellites" project and the establishment of observatories in Arab society.
In the field of R&D, two more R&D centers will be established for the Arab society in the north and the Bedouin society in the Negev, the centers will enable the funding of dedicated research that will be developed for high-tech companies that will help the Arab society, which we estimate will be able to produce dozens of patents and developments that will then be turned into companies or sold.
in the field of entrepreneurship and employment; High-tech technological entrepreneurship centers will be established, the establishment of an entrepreneurship center attached to a hospital in an area with a large Arab population concentration, explorers for the commercialization of companies in the sector and involvement, the establishment of incubators for the development and support of new developing companies (in the seed stage) in the sector, not only in the medical field, and in collaboration with funds from the Arab sector. This is alongside a program that will grant preferential financing conditions to the sector within the framework of the Innovation Authority's activities.
In addition, the Innovation Authority will work to hold professional conversions for research and development positions in high-tech and training for shell positions in high-tech.
The program is priced for the next five years according to an executive calendar division at a cost of over half a billion NIS and will be included in the upcoming budget. In addition, the program will apply to the entire Arab society, including Bedouin, Druze, mixed cities and more.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash HaCohen:
"The Israeli high-tech industry is breaking records of investments in the scope of billions of dollars and the shortage of quality manpower is getting worse. Integrating women and high-tech workers from Arab society is an urgent need and a first-rate strategic economic interest. Despite a dramatic increase in the number of Arab students in the academy, still only 2% of high-tech workers come from Arab society. It is absolutely clear that the sector's high-quality manpower reserves, with the proper training and guidance, will not only be able to integrate into the existing companies - but also to initiate and create startups and additional companies. And not everyone needs to know how to program. Hundreds of complementary high-tech professions that are very necessary for industry in Israel are of great importance.
The program I wish to promote will also address the long-term employment crisis, but will also serve as a lever for social impact in Israel. One of the most important tasks for me as Minister of Science and Technology Innovation is to create a spirit of partnership in the high-tech industry that will harness all partners to overcome social gaps and increase social leadership. This is true regarding Arab society, it is true regarding ultra-orthodox society, and it is true for the entire geographic periphery. We need to extend the curtain of success and abundance of high-tech also to the employment of the Arab sector. Thanks to MK Mansour Abbas for the cooperation.'
Ra'am chairman, MK Mansour Abbas said:
"In addition to the five-year economic plan for the promotion of Arab society that we agreed with the government at a cost of NIS 30 billion, we were able to promote other programs in other areas such as the fight against violence and crime at a cost of NIS 2.5 billion, and another program in the area of promoting high-tech and science and innovation in Arab society at a cost of half a billion NIS that we agreed with the Minister of Innovation and science. Arab society is full of abilities, talents and energy to lead in this field, and there are many opportunities that need to be taken, and our goal is adequate representation so that the percentage of Arab students engaged in high-tech fields in the country does not decrease from the general percentage of Arab citizens among the country's residents, which is 20%."
Minister of Defense and Chairman of Blue and White Benny Gantz congratulated the launch of the program: "Congratulations on the important initiative of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Farkash HaCohen for the joint plan with MK Mansor Abbas to integrate the Arab sector in the fields of high-tech and science.
Blue and White has championed the integration of the various groups and sectors in society in education, employment and society. Happy for the blessed cooperation, and strives for plans and collaborations in the future with other populations as well.'
Details of the program:
In the field of scientific and technological education:
- Establishing a science museum in the Arab sector and increasing the exposure and accessibility of schools in the Arab sector to science museums - every student in the Arab society will be exposed to initial experiences in the field of science, technology and space.
- Science, innovation and space centers in the sector - exposing all children in the sector to the fields of science and technology and space in order to increase the chance of integration into the industry as graduates.
- Establishment of FIRST groups in the Arab sector - integration of program graduates in the fields of science and technology.
- Expansion of the TBL project for the Arab society - an educational program for high school students to build satellites.
- Establishing two observatories in Arab cities - establishing a long-term infrastructure in the aforementioned authorities, exposing the population to the field of space and increasing the occupation capabilities of the population in the field of space.
- Launching a Ramadan satellite (educational joint venture with the United Arab Emirates) - launching an angled camera into space on a tiny satellite for daily photography of the moon, to accurately predict the dates of the holidays.
In the field of applied R&D in Arab society:
- Establishment of branches of research and development centers in the Bedouin sector and establishment of another research and development center in Arab society.
- Strengthening research and development centers that exist in the sector.
- Creating accelerators for the development and commercialization of startups.
- Dissemination of a call for dedicated studies for the benefit of issues concerning the Arab society.
In the field of entrepreneurship and high-tech employment:
- Establishing centers for technological entrepreneurship in high-tech - a knowledge center related to a certain topic, creates an entrepreneurial community, provides a common space for events, meetups and other connections. One of the centers will be established near a hospital with a high concentration of Arab population.
- Acceleration centers - a center that builds a time-bound plan (3-6 months) for a group of entrepreneurs (5-20), usually in a certain field. Teaches the stages of commercialization of companies from building a business plan to market validation and a go to market plan.
- The establishment of Jewish-Arab angel clubs (investors) - to invest in companies that are owned by or mixed with Arab entrepreneurs.
- Establishing incubators - centers that invest in companies at the pre-seed or seed stage in exchange for a percentage of the company. The incubator establishes companies, or invests in a young company, provides technological and business assistance and support and sometimes additional financial support until the company can reach a financial milestone. The incubators establish companies, transfer knowledge from academia to industry, recruit teams and make business connections.
- A program for entrepreneurs from the Arab society - creating preferential financing conditions for the Arab society within the investment framework of the Innovation Authority.
- Vocational retraining program for those with degrees in the exact sciences and life sciences for research and development positions in the high-tech field (engineers).
- Training holders of degrees from other fields for shell positions in high-tech.
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To the "economics student": I don't know what kind of bubble you live in, but there are many ultra-Orthodox and especially ultra-Orthodox women who work in high-tech. In our office there are 2 ultra-Orthodox men and 3 ultra-Orthodox women, as well as Arabs. In short, I don't know what bubble you live in, but your statement is very unbalanced.
It is better to invest the money in the integration of the Arab society in the high-tech world than the ultra-Orthodox society. The cooperation will be greater and the yield better.
It is a shame to invest in a company that opposes.
The ultra-Orthodox should just be left to their own devices.
The truth is that cutting the budgets for the ultra-Orthodox (for example for yeshiva or abrakh) will help much more with their integration into the world of work.
Neither do they serve the state, they also get priority in the academy and now this? Where is the logic? It has already turned into apartheid against Jewish children. And let's face it - if the situation were the other way around, they wouldn't give the Jews affirmative action. Jews under Islamic rule have to pay special sponsorship fees just to get any basic rights.