Israel to Recruit 10,000 Construction Workers in India

The agreement was signed after India and Israel initiated a framework agreement on temporary employment of Indians in May 2023.

3 minutes of reading Last update: Sep 10, 2024 | 21:50 IST

Israel recently asked India to re-recruit 10,000 construction workers and 5,000 caregivers simultaneously to plug the skills gap in the infrastructure and healthcare sectors, the National Skills Development Corporation said.

According to the NSDC, this is a continuation of a similar request submitted by Israel earlier this year.

The statement assumes significance after media reports on Tuesday claimed that a bilateral employment program had been flawed in selecting Indians to work in Israel’s construction sector, after more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were excluded from Israel following a Hamas attack on October 7 last year.

The report, citing data from the Israeli embassy, said some 5,000 workers were recruited through two “tracks”: government-to-government (G2G) operated by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) and business-to-business (B2B) through private agencies overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to NSDC, the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA) has submitted a recruitment application for four specific positions: steel erector, iron bending, plasterer and ceramic tile installer.

The PIBA team of assessors is scheduled to travel to India in the coming week to conduct the necessary skill tests to select individuals who meet the criteria and skill requirements.

The second round of recruitment of construction workers is set to be held in Maharashtra, it was reported.

In addition, Israel needs 5,000 caregivers to boost its healthcare services. They said candidates who have completed at least the 10th standard, are certified by a recognized Indian institute and have completed a caregiver course of at least 990 hours of on-the-job training, can apply, the NSDC said.

In the first round of recruitment of construction workers in Israel, a total of 16,832 candidates appeared for the professional aptitude tests in their profession, out of which 10,349 candidates were selected. The selected candidates will earn Rs 1.92 lakh per month, along with medical insurance, food and accommodation. These candidates will also receive a bonus of Rs 16,515 per month.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has asked all states to conduct recruitment after signing a government-to-government agreement (G2G) in November 2023. The first round of recruitment was held 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 candidates going through the G2G track are required to complete a pre-departure orientation, which includes a handbook to help them understand Israeli culture and lifestyle and get used to their new home.

Such international mobility is in line with the government’s vision of making India the skills capital of the world.

Under this mandate, NSDC builds a pool of talented and skilled individuals, provides necessary training through various training institutions, issues technical advice to the Global South, and supports knowledge exchange and capacity building with its international partners.

(Only the headline and image of the report may have been edited by the Business Standard team; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

First published: Sep 10, 2024 | 21:49 IST