NEW DELHI: Israel wants to hire more Indian workers, including 10,000 construction workers and 5,000 caregivers, to plug their skill gap in the infrastructure and healthcare sector.
This is not the first time Israel has sought Indian workers. Earlier this year, Israel had made a similar request to India.
In the first round of construction worker recruitment, 16,832 candidates appeared for skill tests, of which 10,349 were selected.
Those selected will earn a monthly salary of Rs 1.92 lakh, along with medical insurance, food and accommodation. A bonus of Rs. 16,515 per month is also provided to these candidates, according to a statement issued by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Further, Israel also requires 5,000 caregivers to boost its healthcare services. Candidates who have completed at least their 10th standard, along with holding a certificate issued by a recognised Indian institute and completing a caregiving course with at least 990 hours of on-the-job training, can apply.
According to officials, the Population, Immigration, and Border Authority (PIBA) had put in a request across four specific job roles: framework, iron bending, plastering, and ceramic tiling.
A team from PIBA, composed of assessors, will visit India in the coming week to carry out the necessary skill tests to select those who meet their criteria and skill requisites.
Following a request from Israel, the NSDC reached out to all states to recruit after the government-to-government (G2G) agreement was signed in November 2023. The first recruitment drive was conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana.
The second round of recruitment drive for construction workers will be in Maharashtra.
The agreement was signed after India and Israel initiated a Framework Agreement on Temporary Employment of Indians in May 2023.
All the candidates going through the G2G pathway must undergo pre-departure orientation training. This encompasses a manual to help people understand Israeli culture and way of life and adapt to their new home.
This international mobility aligns with the government’s vision to make India the world's skill capital, according to the statement by NSDC, which works under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
“NSDC, through this mandate, creates a pool of talented and skilled individuals, provides the necessary training through its various training institutions, issues technical advisories for the Global South and creates knowledge exchange and capacity building with its international partners,” the statement added.
Thousands of Indian construction workers are already working in Israel. During his visit to Israel in May 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed an agreement with the Israeli government to provide over 40,000 jobs for Indian nationals in Israel’s construction and nursing fields.
Israel wants to hire Indian workers after it suspended the work permits of thousands of Palestinian workers following the October 7 Hamas attack.