TAM Report / Israel - Academia-industry collaboration

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: Strategies for increasing the employability potential of students and strengthening Academia-Industry collaboration

Type of Event: Conference and training sessions

Modality: Online

Country: Israel

Dates: 19 – 20 May 2024

Participants: The TAM brought together college management, staff responsible for academia–industry relations, teaching-excellence units, and career or internship coordinators. Policymakers from the Council for Higher Education and stakeholders from NGOs and private-sector organisations also participated, representing the main actors involved in employability and skills development in Israel.

THEMES COVERED

• Strategies and models for improving student employability
• Strengthening links between academia and industry, including practical training
• Best practices for internships, apprenticeships, and skill-focused curriculum design
• Institutional responsibilities and support structures for employability initiatives
• Legal and administrative aspects of traineeships within higher education

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

• Gained practical strategies and tools to enhance employability initiatives within their institutions.
• Improved understanding of how to structure and manage traineeships and apprenticeships.
• Learned good practices for aligning curriculum content with labour-market needs and skill attainment.
• Deepened their capacity to contribute to Israel’s Academia 360 programme through better-prepared institutional submissions.

OVERVIEW

The event combined keynote presentations, working sessions, and focused meetings with policymakers, teaching-excellence coordinators, industry partners, and the National Student Union, creating a comprehensive platform for discussing employability reforms. By introducing European approaches to traineeships, skills development, and academia–industry collaboration, the TAM directly supported the objectives of Israel’s national Academia 360 initiative.

Over the two days, the experts delivered thematic inputs, engaged national decision makers in consultation sessions, and led a practical workshop aimed at strengthening institutional structures for internships and employability, helping HEIs better integrate these elements into academic programmes and prepare stronger submissions for the new national framework.

THE FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY

Title of the activity: Enhancing Graduate Employability Through AI and Sector Collaboration

Dates: 8 October 2024

Audience: The follow-up seminar gathered 80 participants, including HEI managers responsible for curriculum adaptation, staff working on academia-industry collaboration, units responsible for teaching excellence, and career-centre or internship coordinators. Policymakers from the CHE-PBC also participated, ensuring alignment between institutional practices and national employability objectives. The audience represented a broad mix of institutional leadership and practitioners engaged in graduate employability reform.

Description: The follow-up activity was organised in collaboration with the Israeli Council for Higher Education. The event aimed to equip higher education institutions with practical tools to adapt curricula and strengthen graduate employability through collaboration with the private sector and hands-on learning. It combined expert presentations, peer-to-peer exchanges, and workshops using AI tools to help institutions understand how industry needs can be better embedded into academic programmes. Sessions focused on human capital development, AI standards, and approaches to aligning course design with labour-market expectations, supporting the broader national Academia 360 initiative.

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

• Integrate internships more systematically across all curricula.
• Provide training for academic staff on linking theoretical courses with practical experience.
• Train administrative staff on managing and following up internships and practical placements.
• Establish a clear national framework governing rights, duties, and procedures for practical training.
• Engage experts experienced in curriculum reform and institutional change to further support implementation.