As part of the announcement of cooperation between the entities for professional training towards high-quality employment, the Labor Branch at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Israel Innovation Authority will provide grants of up to 70 percent for innovative and groundbreaking programs and models that will help to bring in high-quality and skilled human capital from the haredi population.

Orit Farkash Hacohen (Blue and White), Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said: "I am pleased to see that my policy objectives in the field of human capital are being implemented with yet another important initiative. Integrating Israelis from populations that are not currently represented in the high-tech industry, including the periphery and haredi society, is an important government mission that both the industry itself and the citizens of Israel will benefit from."

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: "The State of Israel sees the high-tech industry as the growth engine of the Israeli economy that integrates all sectors and populations of Israeli society. The haredi sector in Israel constitutes about 12 percent of all Israeli citizens, but on the other hand provides only three percent of high-tech workers."

"Our goal is to increase the scope of high-tech employment programs for both men and women, thereby significantly expanding their earning potential. In recent years, the haredi sector has begun integrating into the high-tech industry, especially haredi women who graduate from seminars that train them in a variety of professions, and then join leading technology companies in the high-tech sector in advanced technological positions.

"In addition, the Israel Innovation Authority is currently operating training and placement programs for the sector. The current call is intended to expand employment opportunities for those who are interested and capable of integrating into the high-tech sector with the assistance of proper training."

Tair Ifergan, Supervisor of the Labor Branch in the Ministry of Economy, said: "The Labor Branch is working according to the employment goals set by the government, to increase participation of various targeted populations in the labor market, and accordingly promote and develop diverse training programs. An example of this in recent years is that most women from the sector complete their training in seminars supervised by the Labor Branch and a high percentage of them integrate into the high-tech sector."

"The mission is not yet complete – the next step is the haredi men - and it is our job to incentivize and encourage the development of high productivity training programs. This is a win-win situation: first for the workers themselves, who are integrated into high-wage jobs, and secondly to the Israeli economy and to the high-tech industry, where there is high demand for workers at this time."

The proposed programs will provide solutions to one of the most significant challenges for the growth and integration of all populations in advanced industry and in the high-tech industry: potential detection, categorization, specialization, training, OJT, placement, guidance, reskilling, upskilling of skilled personnel, retention and/or upgrade of high-quality and skilled employees in the fields of research and development in the high-tech industry in Israel.