The Edmond de Rothschild Bridge for Higher Education and Employment was established by the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel) with the goal of increasing the rate of young adults, with emphasis on diverse populations, who successfully integrate into career paths aligned with their education, skills, and personal aspirations for social mobility and personal development. It works to promote policy, develop infrastructures needed for the integration of employability into academia, and enhance the effectiveness of actions in this field.
The Challenge:
Following the academic colleges reform in the 1990s, the Israeli higher education system underwent a transformation that led to its effectively becoming the primary system for training human capital for the local labor market. The proportion of academics in the Israeli population (50%) is notably high compared to OECD countries’ average (40%), a positive figure that should result in greater productivity.
However, more than 32% of the workers in Israel find themselves overeducated, and 36% of academic graduates report a mismatch between their education and occupational field. This situation has repercussions on the productivity level in the economy, which is 20% lower than the OECD average, contributing to economic and social inequality. Salary data also reveal that, in practice, academic degrees in many fields and from various institutions yield a lower economic return compared to those holding a matriculation certificate.
These findings indicate that despite the fact that academic education promotes social mobility, it is not a sufficient condition for achieving it; a significant gap exists between Israel’s higher education and the requirements of the job market; and that a considerable portion of the students in Israel fail to capitalize on the benefits, opportunities, and exposure that academic studies offer.
In light of these observations, the center advocates for policies and establishes infrastructures and tools to embed employability* at the core of academia. This involves acquiring skills and qualifications, experiential learning, diverse exposures, and high-quality career services, etc.
*Employability refers to the range of abilities and skills that facilitate an individual’s acceptance into a workplace and their success therein. Beyond securing a job, employability encompasses one’s ability to retain employment, progress in the workplace, or secure new employment when needed. Enhanced employability provides individuals with better prospects for job acquisition, increases the likelihood of successful integration into their professional field, and suggests greater job satisfaction along with improved financial rewards (Tamir and Neumann, 2007).
The center implements a three-pronged strategic approach:
Knowledge & Policy
• Generating new knowledge in the field
• Consolidating and disseminating existing
data and knowledge
• Advancing policy
Pilots & Infrastructures
Developing and managing pilot programs and infrastructural projects in the field
Establishing a professional standard
Cultivating professionalism and promoting a standard of excellence among those engaged in the field.
צוות המרכז
מרב שרווינטר
מובילת מיזם אקדמיה-תעסוקה באוניברסיטת חיפה ובמכללה האקדמית כנרת
שירין אבו אסעד
מתכללת שותפויות וקשרי מעסיקים במיזם אקדמיה-תעסוקה, אוניברסיטת חיפה ובמכללה האקדמית כנרת
פדות ברוכי
מתכללת שותפויות וקשרי מעסיקים במיזם אקדמיה-תעסוקה, אוניברסיטת בר אילן ובמכללה האקדמית ספיר
Partners
The Edmond de Rothschild Bridge for Higher Education and Employment was established by the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel).
The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel) works to create a just, cohesive, and inclusive society in Israel, and drives deep processes of social change towards advancing excellence, diversity, and leadership through higher education. Harnessing a philanthropic legacy of over 140 years, the Foundation fulfills the Rothschild family’s long-term commitment to the pioneering spirit of the State of Israel and invests in its agents of change and in promoting its modern-day pioneers.
As part of the Edmond de Rothschild global philanthropic network, the Foundation initiates dozens of innovative projects across Israel, which seek to reduce the gaps in society and foster a young leadership.