Employment service, Manufacturers and the finance Ministry propose training for job seekers

Due to the Corona crisis, the employment service, the Manufacturers' Association and the Ministry of Finance are embarking on a joint program to train job seekers in the industrial professions.
On Wednesday, a first call was issued for the manufacturing industries, in which millions of shekels will be allocated to encourage the employment of jobseekers in industrial companies. A factory that employs and trains jobseekers to staff a skilled worker will receive a grant of up to NIS 16,000, which will be spread over six months of employment. As part of the project, in the first phase, about 800 employees will be trained and later, assignments and additional programs for training and placement will be opened.
The call that came out appeals to industrial companies in diverse industries including chemistry and pharmaceuticals, metal and electricity, high-tech and electronics, food, textiles and apparel, machinery, wood and furniture.
These days, Israel is facing the biggest employment crisis in its history, with hundreds of thousands registered in the employment service as job seekers. About two-thirds are in the IDF, and it is estimated that a significant number will not return to work and may remain unemployed.
The industry in Israel has been facing in recent years a growing shortage of skilled labor and many jobs of welders, locksmiths, electricians and other professions that require skilled staff remain unstaffed. Although this reality was exacerbated by the Corona crisis, the Employment Service and the Manufacturers' Association see it as an opportunity to bring about a solution that will benefit all parties - industrial companies as well as job seekers.
The Director General of the Employment Service, Rami Graur, said that “only a combination of the hands of the state, the business sector and the job seekers will allow us to overcome the employment crisis. This is another step in the employment service's efforts to reduce unemployment rates in Israel, and many more will follow. "
The president of the Manufacturers' Association, Dr. Ron Tomer, said that "the new vocational training system that is now being launched jointly with the companies is more essential than ever for Israeli industry, which, precisely because of the corona crisis and the departure of masses of workers, is having difficulty recruiting professional workers. The training will allow job seekers to get out of the cycle of unemployment and at the same time develop a new career. "

Data from the National Insurance Institute published on Wednesday show that about 277,000 are entitled to unemployment benefits for more than 100 days. A total of 1.08 million applications for unemployment benefits have been submitted since the beginning of the crisis, of which over 980,000 applications (92%) were approved, with 114,000 approved under the Corona conditions (qualification period 6-12 months). 85,000 of the applicants were not entitled under the terms of the law to receive unemployment benefits.
About 634,000 people entitled to unemployment benefits are unemployed, while 121,000 are entitled to partial unemployment (they had a number of employers, and went on unpaid leave from some of them). Have not yet returned to the labor market: 668,191 citizens. Since the 13.9 - (second wave) - 161,257 citizens went on unpaid leave, 77,905 applications submitted are new. A total of 239,162 applications were submitted for this period. In September alone, about 63,000 new applications were submitted, and in October (to date) 23,000 applications were submitted.
About 370,000 women who are entitled to unemployment benefits have not yet returned to the labor market, compared with 299,000 men. Ages 28-39 are the age segment in which the number of unemployed who have not yet returned to the labor market is the highest and stands at 217,000 unemployed. The cities with the highest unemployment rate are: Eilat, Ramla, Holon, Rishon Lezion, Nazareth and Lod. Industries in which the unemployment rate is highest: wholesale and retail trade and hospitality and food services.
Meanwhile, the Employment Service said today that from yesterday until this morning at 7:00, 4,511 reports of returning to work arrived, and 2,132 new job seekers were registered. Currently, 969,107 jobseekers are registered with the employment service, of which 616,327 were taken on unpaid leave.
Meir Spiegler, Director General of the National Insurance Institute: "As the corona crisis continues, we are witnessing an increase in other areas in which the public needs assistance. Beyond applications for unemployment benefits and income support. There is also a steep rise in nursing, bankruptcies and applications for disability benefits. "Social Security will continue to accompany citizens, especially at this time, to alleviate the difficulty and complexity as much as possible."