Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

Stef Wertheimer recently published an op-ed regarding the importance of vocational education in Israel. He calls for a revision in Israel’s education system as well as for instilling ‘production values’ and vocational qualifications that will provide an answer to the industry’s needs.

While Israel leads in technological invention and development, it has difficulties in creating and maintaining ‘employment abundant’ and sophisticated production industries (for example, see The Future of Growth Promotion in Israel). Other evidence can be found in the 2009 GCI report published recently by the World Economic Forum: While Israel excels in its inventive capabilities, its innovation in the production process is mediocre (innovation in the production process includes the state of cluster development, value chain breadth and production process sophistication).

Wertheimer describes a visit by a German delegation to Israel which presented the German model of education. This model, which is supported by the German industry, integrates general with vocational studies and succeeded in establishing leading industries. (This claim can also be validated by the GCI: Germany is rated high both in variables of invention and in variables of innovation in the production process.)

A Reut analysis of the 2009 GCI shows that one of the major challenges Israel faces is creating institutions that support invention while contributing to social inclusiveness – institutions that support the process of transforming the economy by creating, among other things, relevant vocational training mechanisms.

A comprehensive analysis by Reut of the 2009 GCI will soon be published.