For six weeks, Tair Ifergan was always on the go. She traveled to meet the CEOs of Osem, Mekorot, Unilever and Intel. It was a rare event: a senior government official going out to convince the private sector why they should collaborate. But Tair, Director of the Government Institute for Technology and Science Training (MAHAT), the body responsible for
the technological colleges, knew that she needed these leaders to complete the revolution in technological education and turn students into highly sought after employees. She told them: “We are working to train people with relevant skills for you. It’s worth your while to partner with us .”
The Israeli economy is suffering from low productivity – people work a lot and earn little. One reason is the lack of practical engineers and technicians. Factories need certified technicians with advanced technological training – training offered by the technological colleges.
These colleges can lead social change – entrance standards do not require full matriculation, and college graduates earn on average 10,000 ILS per month, with potential for higher earnings. So what’s the problem?
In practice, students graduate without sufficient knowledge and employers must provide on-the-job training (OJT). As a result, only 60% of graduates work in the field for which they are trained.
A year ago, the government initiated a reform, with a significant budget, to strengthen the colleges and improve the curriculum to meet the industry’s dynamic needs. Tair joined the Meitzim Accelerator with the challenge of implementation.
The curricula were previously updated by MAHAT, in partnership with the colleges. Tair decided to bring a third, new, player to the table: industry leaders. She suggested: “Let’s ask them what a practical engineer does, and extract the required knowledge and skills.”
It sounds like a win-win-win, but no one was enthusiastic. At MAHAT, they claimed that each industry had its own needs. The colleges insisted: “We know best what needs to be studied.” Industry leaders, who had been disappointed before, asked: “What’s the point? It doesn’t matter what we say – you’ll ignore it.”
Tair decided to start by building trust and a common language. She invited everyone to one event to initiate the collaboration. 30 employers came, alongside college directors and MAHAT staff. They shared their views on the role of practical engineers and the knowledge needed. The event was a success. They built an academic model including practical training, soft
skills and field experience.
A committee was formed to create seven curricula for academic programs. Disagreements arose. Tair recounts: “An employer said: ‘I need this profession, and I’m willing to pay them X salary.’ I said: ‘that salary doesn’t justify two years of studies.’ Directors said: ‘then I’m not interested in teaching that profession.’” Tair received ongoing consultation from MAOZ’s Meitzim Accelerator to work on implementing the reform with college directors and MAHAT staff through concentrated training days and overseas learning trips.
This also involved a process of rebranding the colleges. “If practical engineering was an academic degree, people would treat it differently” says Tair. “It’s frustrating that many people study unnecessary degrees when they could be studying a profession where they can earn much more.”