Every industry is affected by digital transformation. The disruption of skills, creation of high-tech jobs that never existed, and widening skills gaps shape the success of a country’s competitiveness. Israel is no exception: talent shortages have been on the rise since 2012. The most critical need: to solve the software development talent shortage in high growth industries like biotech and telecom, according to the Minister of Economy and Industry. Committed to reversing the trend and reducing the shortage, the Israeli government turned to Experis, ManpowerGroup’s IT professional resourcing and project solutions brand, for help — and together we built an upskilling program as innovative as the tech jobs it trains for.
The result of our partnership is the Experis Academy Israel CORE program, a six-month accelerated coding curriculum to fill the tech skills gap and build a workforce ready to evolve with digital transformation. The program was modeled after successful coding bootcamps from the United States, where employers report that bootcamp grads are as, if not more, qualified than university grads. Experis Academy Israel was designed to provide training that is specifically mapped to tech industries with the most in-demand skills – software development, business intelligence, data science and cyber security, to name a few.
“The high-tech industry is a significant growth engine for the economy and these bootcamps will provide an opportunity for employees with high potential from diverse backgrounds.” — Eli Cohen, Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry
- 10%increase in supply of high-tech talent in Israel since first year
- 30%of graduates are women
- 26-35years old:
average graduate age
The main credential: motivation to learn
Speed to graduation is a key requirement for the Academy’s credibility with employers — which is why high qualification standards, including university degrees and previous work experience, determine who enters the program. However, a person’s potential for success starts with a deeper credential: their motivation and desire to learn and grow.
Developing success
To reach the goal of training as many software workers as possible with relevant in-demand skills, a separate track within the Academy was developed to include people from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds or non-native Israelis who don’t meet the requirements of the main program. Dubbed “We Code,” the eight-month intensive scholarship, mentoring and training bootcamp widens the scope of potential candidates for high tech jobs. Programs like We Code make it possible for anyone with a strong desire to learn to gain software skills certification. And in addition, they help employers solve their talent shortages more quickly — by flipping the qualifications question from “why hire?” to “why not hire?”
“The bootcamps are aimed at attracting outstanding candidates from across the country. Some of them have dedicated programs for training women, those from Arab and Ultra-orthodox communities and other underrepresented groups. At the end of the day, the test of their success will be their results. We call on the high-tech industry, eager for trained personnel, to be a real partner on this path.” — Naomi Krieger-Carmy, Head of Societal Challenges Division
Dreams are welcome here
Stories from the Academy show how upskilling programs can pave pathways to dreams coming true. One of the We Code students, Lior, had been forced to quit university to support his family financially. When offered the accelerated opportunity to gain new credentials that would give him back his career path, he not only seized it, but succeeded in joining the 95% of Academy graduates who get and keep their first jobs after the program. That means he gained greater long-term job security as well as the means of supporting his family. Other students, like sisters Sara and Shani, shattered glass ceilings in their family and in traditional culture by pursuing their careers as software professionals. These stories are a few among many that prove when policymakers, industry partners, educators and other members of a society remove obstacles to economic growth and include underrepresented population segments, motivated individuals can reach their full potential — and transformation of an entire country is possible.
“Thank you for your investment in my education—6 months filled with caring, warmth and help that went beyond class hours. Thank you for helping me to manifest my dream and become the person I am today.” — Sara Tzeva, Experis Academy CORE graduate
- 1,000+graduates are working in Israel’s leading tech companies
- 50%of recruits come recommended by past graduates
- 95%of graduates remain in their field long term
