Israel Association of Electronics and Software Industries (IAESI) president Elisha Yanai has painted a gloomy picture of Israeli high tech. "I regret ruining the celebrations after the summary of last year's exits but the real Israeli high tech is stagnating and by certain indices is even close to the abyss. The startup is selling itself out and the entire industry, which is responsible for exports worth $27 billion annually has for the past five years been at a turbulent and dangerous crossroads."
Yanai, the former president of Motorola Israel, also expressed angry opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to import foreign high tech employees. "Before the government imports foreign workers for high tech, only because it makes good headlines, the cabinet should form a national plan to provide a solution for the problems and difficulties of the industry and thousands of Israelis over 45 laid off and because of their age are unable to get back into the job market. Only then, should the government mull and consider bringing foreign workers."
He added, "This plan is simply deluded and absolutely cut off from what is happening in the field. Thousands of engineers and software personnel that have completed their training in the colleges, are having difficulty in finding work whether it's because of the contemptuous attitude to college graduates compared with the more elite institutions like the Technion and universities or whether it’s the repeated mantra that they lack experience."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 7, 2016
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