According to the university, Google and Israel’s Reichman University have established a school to train high-tech professionals, offering courses in computer programming, sales, and data analysis, among other subjects.

Although Israel has a thriving high-tech sector, a severe shortage of skilled tech workers has resulted in tens of thousands of open positions.

According to the university, the School of High Tech will subsidize students from under-represented communities “including women, the ultra-Orthodox, Arabs, members of the Ethiopian community and people from the geo-social periphery and disadvantaged socio-economic groups.”

“We believe that a variety of voices, opinions and perspectives enriches Israeli high-tech and its developments,” said Barak Regev, managing director of Google Israel.

Courses will be offered over the next few weeks, and students who complete them will earn credit toward a degree, according to the university.

Courses in programming, software testing, business development, sales, and data analysis will be offered at the Google Campus in Tel Aviv and the Reichman University in the Israeli city of Herzliya, and Google will provide scholarships to participants.

The technology sector accounts for approximately 15% of Israel’s economic activity, with hundreds of new startups launched each year. According to the Israeli Tech Review, Israeli tech firms raised nearly $10 billion in investment in the first half of 2022.