Israel Approaches India For Labour Force Of Up To 15,000 For Construction, Caregiving

Israel has approached India for a recruitment drive again for 10,000 construction workers and 5,000 caregivers simultaneously in order to plug the skill gap in infrastructure and health sectors, according to a statement from the National Skill Development Corporation.

This development arrives on the heels of a similar request made by Israel earlier this year.

The statement is important because a media report on Tuesday highlighted issues with a bilateral jobs scheme. This scheme involves sending Indians to Israel to work in construction, following a ban on over 1 lakh Palestinian workers after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack last year.

The report cited data from the Israeli Embassy claiming that around 5,000 workers each have been recruited through two 'pathways': Government-to-Government handled by National Skill Development Corporation and Business-to-Business through private agencies overseen by the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to NSDC, the Population, Immigration, and Border Authority has put in a request across four specific job roles: Framework, Iron Bending, Plastering, and Ceramic Tiling.

A team from PIBA, comprising assessors, is to visit India in the coming week to carry out the necessary skill tests for selecting those who meet their criteria and skill requisites.

The second round of recruitment drive for construction workers is to take place in Maharashtra, it stated.

Israel also requires 5,000 caregivers to boost its healthcare services. They have stated candidates have to have a minimu requirements of having completed their education up to the 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, the NSDC stated.

In the first round of recruitment of construction workers for Israel, a total of 16,832 candidates appeared for skill tests in their trade out of which 10349 candidates were selected. Those selected will earn a salary of Rs 1.92 lakh per month, along with medical insurance, food, and accommodation. A bonus of Rs 16,515 per month is also provided to these candidates.

The National Skill Development Corporation reached out to all states to carry out recruitment after the government-to-government agreement was signed in November 2023. The first round of recruitment drive was carried out in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana.

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 are mandated to undergo pre-departure orientation training. This encompasses a manual to understand Israeli culture and way of life and get accustomed to their new home.

This international mobility aligns with the government's vision to make India the Skill Capital of the world.

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.

(With Inputs From PTI.)