Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Manpower Training and Development Bureau Apprenticeship and Youth Department “VET for social inclusion: from conceptualization to actions”, 15–16 March 2012

Autonomic system under the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry Trade and Labor. Operates through vocational schools and vocational training programs. Apprenticeship and Youth Training This Is the main choice for youth: Who choose the track of vocational education training, that combines theoretical and practical studies at school, and work with payment. Dropouts youth from the formal education of the Educational Bureau in Israel, seeking or needing an alternative to the main formal education system.

The legal frame work : The apprenticeship law. the youth labor law. The compulsory education law. which ensures the rights of working youths (14 up) to education. The implementation of these laws is made through the Apprenticeship system or the Industrial system, which is a kind of dual system that combines work and studies. Apprenticeship and Youth Training

Industrial schools The framework of Industrial schools optimally applies the principles of the Apprenticeship system and operates through : 1.Combined apprenticeship training – a program of 3– 4 years schooling in accordance to the apprenticeship law. 2.Adolescents courses – a program of 1-2 years, vocational training, for youth who drop- out of school on later phase (age 17), or youth who are not mature enough to participate work (this activity is not under Apprenticeship law).

Industrial schools The Industrial schools operate with the objective of training reserve of skilled workers for the Industry, the Market and the Army. Along with education and vocational training they provide preparation towards employment or entrepreneurship and help for integration in work. 80 vocational schools, run by educational networks such as ; Amal, Ort, Atid, Zur, Dror,Sachnin and others. 13,000 pupils, (38% from the Arab sector), which are 3.5% of the total pupils population in Israel. 11 schools operate together with the Israel Defense (air force, navy, maintenance crops). 6 schools in industrial plants.

Apprenticeship and Youth Training Special Programs – some examples “SEYLE” - “SEYLE” - Youth Suicide Prevention Project Funded By The European Union under the 7 th Framework Programme Health Theme along with The Ministry of Industry Trade and Labour & Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel. Main Objective: Provide a culturally adjusted, evidenced-based suicide prevention strategy for high schools. Implemented during The SEYLE project comprises 12 European countries with the implementation of four interventions among a total of 11,000 adolescents Preliminary results: 9% of the students were in high risk for suicide.

WORKING IN EUROPE TO STOP TRUANCY AMONG YOUTH ISRAELI SITE Israel is the first country to implement the project due to the feasibility of the SEYLE project in Israel. “We stay” - A project to stop truancy among youth

Target populations - Ultra-Orthodox Community - Ethiopian Community - Bedouin Community

Common denominators of programs - Social sensitivity- dialogue between traditional values and broader social values. - Facilitators within a target population helping to bridge over cultural codes between populations. - Enhancement of basic vocational skills. - Heterogenic teaching staff: within local community and greater social community. - Integrating payed salaries for work while studying same profession.

Apprenticeship and Youth Department Special Projects - Journey to Poland We believe that every Israeli must learn about the Holocaust in order to relate to the collective memory that exists in the Israeli society. The program teaches youths, Jews & Arabs, about the Holocaust and prepares them for an intensive study trip to Poland. In order to allow most students to participate, 45% of the expenses are covered by the Ministry.

The Program Of The Holocaust Studies in Vocational Schools The Arab students who visited Yad Vashem all attend vocational schools run by the Israeli Ministry of Trade and Industry. These educational frameworks are mainly located in the peripheral areas of Israel and are geared to youth unable to attend regular schools as a result of social, emotional and learning disabilitie s

Goals The primary goal of this program is to connect Arab youth to the topic of the Holocaust and the ramifications the Holocaust has on humanity. This includes providing necessary historical knowledge about the main topics related to the Holocaust in order to discuss pertinent questions surrounding the nature of man and the way our Israeli-Arab society deals with the memory of the Holocaust

Challenges In addition to the social, emotional and learning challenges continuously facing these students, Arab students face additional challenges in studying the Holocaust. These students encounter difficulty learning in Hebrew since Arabic is usually their mother tongue. The majority of these students have little or no knowledge about the Holocaust. Additionally, many of them are suspicious to learn about the suffering of the Jewish nation and feel socially alienated from the mainstream Israeli society.

Bedouin Community - Program for strengthening student Attendance (we stay). - Strengthening teacher's ability to be more effective agents of change for their students. - Strengthening individual therapeutic resources for students facing difficulty with complex studies.

Ultra-Orthodox Community - Structured intervention programs that provide counseling and supervision built with religious authority in the community. - Educational programs that respect community values and promote religious study with professional education.

Ethiopian students Community in process of immigration.- Non- Hebrew speaking parents. - - Mediating between ethnic group parents and educational facilities. - familiarity of the Ethiopian culture to the greater teacher's community. - Student empowerment through learning reinforcement together with support programs of proactive self-competency.