Can the High-Tech Sector Grow to Reach 12% of Workforce?

This study, conducted by the Aaron Institute in collaboration with Start-Up Nation Central, examines the following question: is it possible to expand the rate of workers employed in the Israeli high-tech sector, which currently stands at 9% of the entire Israeli workforce, up to 12% by the year 2030? This is not a rhetorical question. In fact, if the high-tech sector fails to expand, it runs the risk of shrinking due to the strong competition arising from the hubs of innovation which are rapidly evolving around the world, particularly in the USA. To achieve this goal, a coordinated strategy must be developed and enacted by the government with the support of the high-tech industry as well as academic institutions and civic organizations. This study does not discuss such a strategy; it examines whether Israel has the human capital required to support such an expansion. And the answer to that is yes, but only if the positive trends which we have seen over the last few years regarding human capital development are sustained and enhanced.