Bank of Israel Director General Mr. Hezi Kalo delivered remarks at the inauguration of the Technological Institute for Young Druze Empowerment in Dalyat al-Carmel. In his remarks, the Director General noted the importance of integrating young people from the Druze community into the Israeli labor market.
The key parts of his remarks are below:
I am very excited to be here, at the celebratory launch of the Technological Institute for Young Druze Empowerment, which is the initiative of the Druze Veterans Association, in conjunction with the Israel Chamber of Information Technology.
The association acted to establish and operate a technological institute for the empowerment of young people from the Druze community, in a unique venture, the aim of which is to serve as a leading center for advancing the optimal integration of people from the community in technological professions, while encouraging technological excellence, creativity, and innovation.
The Druze community’s special contribution to the State of Israel is very significant, and the successful integration of young people from the community in the labor market is a natural step that will benefit not only the community, but also the entire Israeli economy.
Establishing such an institute is the practical application of the Bank of Israel’s recommendations regarding contribution to the future growth of the economy. Maximizing the potential human capital of the entire population in Israel is the key to increasing long-term productivity and growth in a way that encompasses all of Israel’s citizens.
Therefore, the level of basic skills, and particularly technological skills, of Israel’s workers must be raised in order to enable integration into a changing labor market. Compared with the other developed economies, and despite the high percentage of workers with higher education, the skills of Israel’s workers are relatively low. As such, the educational system and post-secondary education must provide content and skills that enable effective integration into the labor market.