Education Sessions at the Annual Conferences of 2023 and 2024

For the past 29 years, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) has convened an annual conference to discuss important issues facing the Israeli economy and society. This is a unique framework that attracts the participation of government ministers, high-ranking officials, business executives and civil society leaders. The conference sessions are well planned, based on studies and papers that are prepared in advance. The discussions that follow are covered extensively by the media and influence public policy at the national level.

Several years ago, we approached the IDI and proposed that they devote a session at the conference to education. Until that time, education issues were included on a sporadic basis and almost no one from the Education Ministry participated. With repeat grants from the foundation, the IDI conducted a series of studies on the effects of the five-unit reform in mathematics on higher education and education policy. These studies were presented as part of a session dedicated to education that has since become an integral part of the conference.

Ahead of the 2023 and 2024 cycles of the conference, the IDI proposed conducting two studies which will take a deep dive into the evolving patterns of transition from education to the workforce. With special emphasis on the high-tech sector, the first longitudinal study will look at the characteristics of those who “jump” from Israel’s lowest socio-economic backgrounds to the high-tech sector and upper-income bracket. The research team will be led by Karnit Flug, former governor of the Bank of Israel, and will use big data in a statistical analysis of demographics, employment, residence, and education. The goal is to identify unique characteristics that contribute to the ability to leapfrog so successfully.

The second study, led by Yotam Margalit, will analyze the specific skills required in today’s labor market, particularly the relevant skills needed for high-tech. The study will look at changes that have been occurring since the COVID pandemic and their effects on the job market. Previous research over the years has pointed to the growing importance of skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and independent learning. The findings of both studies will be prepared in the form of a digital report and will be presented at the IDI 2023 and 2024 annual conferences as well as disseminated to the professional community and the public.

* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 512