Due to the evolving employment situation in the economy, about 50,000 text messages were sent by the National Insurance Institute to unemployment and income support benefit recipients to promote a unique training system developed by the Ministry of Labor in cooperation with Joint and the company "Retrain.ai".
The Minister of Labor and the National Insurance Commissioner, Yoav Ben Tzur: "The Israeli public looks up to us and expects us to pool government resources for the improvement of our service to the citizen"
Thousands of recipients of unemployment and income support benefits received text messages from the National Insurance Institute with a link directing them to "Skill-il" website, the Israel's vocational training website of the Ministry of Labor. A dedicated website established in recent months to help finding a vocational training adapted to each person' individual skills and needs.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic and employment situation changed beyond recognition. Workers are seeking to change their career path, wish to find a balance between work investment and personal life at the same time as an economic recession and layoffs in various fields are taking place in recent months.
The Ministry of Labor established the "Skill.il" website, a smart and advanced technological system designed to connect users to the vocational training that best suits them, together with JDC Tevet, the Azrieli Foundation, Retrain.Ai, using AI technology, the site offers users an advanced mechanism of smart compatibility between the user's skills, preferences and data and the opportunities most relevant to them. Therefore, "Skill-IL" is a digital one-stop-shop of vocational training.
The website is designed for anyone who wants to choose a vocational training, whether he is working or interested in improving and upgrading their workplace. The system includes a huge database of over 5,000 vocational trainings offered by hundreds of training institutions recognized by the Ministry of Labor and the Innovation Authority, alongside external studies at colleges and institutions of higher education, etc.
Upon logging into the system, questions are asked that guide the applicant in the direction he is willing to go, distilling his professional experience, desires, etc. After the questions stage, the system produces individually for each person, over the internet – a detailed and up-to-date information about all the training suitable to the applicant and includes the description of the training, Silibus, geographical location, duration of the training, acceptance criteria and more. In addition, the system has created prioritization for training qualifying for financing or offer a job-placement guarantee at the end. The whole process is computed in less than 10 minutes.
The system was built in such a way to account for any personal preference, allowing anyone seeking training to receive what they requested according to their preferences. There is a smart coordination between skill, tendencies and preferences of the training seekers, and occupational opportunities.
The National Insurance sent messages to all recipients of unemployment and income support benefits under policy in which anyone can earn a decent living and without the help of allowances, the Ministry of Labor fully developed the system to identify the desired training, and finally, after a running period, the Employment Service will use the system for the benefit of those knocking on its door to find a job.
The Minister of Labor and the National Insurance Commissioner, Yoav Ben Tzur: "Vocational training is a top priority and we will invest the full resources it requires. The Israeli public looks up to us and expects us to pool government resources in favor of improving service to the citizen. Skill-il is another service that we offer together with quality technological training in colleges supervised by the Ministry and aims to provide a personal and unique solution for each person looking for training or vocational retraining. The Ministry of Labor's professional training is at the forefront of integrating all populations into quality employment in the economy."
Director General of the Ministry of Labor, Israel Ouzan: "The Ministry of Labor is constantly assessing the evolutions in our changing labor world, and we know that more and more employees are required to undergo vocational retraining and have higher mobility within the areas in which they have acquired experience in the past. The AI technology that have just emerged
also affects the labor market, and these days we are examining in depth its implications for workers in the economy. This will inevitably lead to strengthening skills and competencies, so it is our job to offer a wide range of training and employment options tailored to the changing job market, and to ensure that workers have the right set of skills. "
Deputy Director General of the National Insurance Institute, Yarona Shalom: "The uniqueness of the National Insurance is often expressed in the fact that its employees meet the general public on a daily basis, hear its distresses, difficulties, desires and more. We believe this is the best way to improve and better our services while at the same time creating programs and collaborations that will benefit the public. The fact that a vocational training website has been created, that is aligned with the new era and the National Insurance Institute, concentrating all job seekers, leads to a better response for those who need it and produces a complementary response both in the form of an allowance and in the form of support to return to the working world and the ability to earn a living with dignity".
Rani Dudai, CEO of JDC-Tevet: "The Corona crisis led to 800,000 jobless people. The crisis showed that in Israel workers are facing a great challenge by being required to retrain or upgrade their professional abilities in their field of work. Those workers who quickly returned to the labor market in August 2021, upon the end of unpaid leave benefits, after a prolonged time of sitting at home. The fast return to work and the dramatic drop in unemployment rates did not lead to a change in the level of skills and relevance of workers. A large proportion of workers are currently looking for opportunities to acquire skills and competencies that will advance them toward a professional career that is relevant to the changing labor market. The move of the National Insurance Institute to promote SKILL-IL will allow to reach that population, make it accessible, and let them connect with the most relevant opportunities in vocational training, so that they can make the most effective and beneficial decision for the rest of their career and, in the next crisis, be able to keep their jobs."