The economic strength of any modern country is based on its ability to translate scientific knowledge and technological innovation to new products and services. This is especially relevant in the case of Israel, which lacks natural resources. The basis for creating a scientific and technological knowledge base lies in the cultivation of human capital.
The goal of this project, which is operating under the auspices of the S. Neaman Institute and the National Council for Civil Research & Development (MOLMOP) in cooperation with the Central Bureau of Statistics, is to present data on the science and technology human resources in Israel. This data will assist the MOLMOP members in shaping a policy concerning science and technology labor force training for the industry and academic sectors.
During 2007, a final report was submitted, including a database that describes the supply and demand for a science and technology labor force in Israel. The supply aspect includes data on both the tertiary level and the secondary level by various segments (gender, locality of residence, population group, fields of study, degree levels). The demand aspect includes data on the current science and technology labor force and the projected demand in this labor market sector by various segments (gender, years of education, occupation, locality of residence, wage, and population group). The report also includes a literature survey on the supply and demand for science and technology labor forces in the OECD countries.
This project will continue during 2008 and will focus on the following subjects:
- Human resources supply forecast according to industry needs
- Policy measures to reduce brain drain
- The training of a population without tertiary education for the science and technology labor market
- A survey of academic engineering colleges in Israel
- Increasing the supply of master and doctoral degree recipients in science and technology
- Strengthening non-academic technological education
- A survey of collaboration between the academic and industrial sectors
