On January fifteenth, approximately sixty participants – senior officials from the Ministry of Welfare, consultants, and representatives from central schools – convened for a study day on the core issue of the public and social sector in Israel.
The day opened with greetings from Ms. Iris Florentin, Senior Deputy Director General and Head of the Strategy Administration at the Ministry of Welfare, followed by a comprehensive overview presented by Dr. Nurit Segev, Director of the Central School, detailing the school’s activities during the 2024-2025 academic year and the main directions of work for 2026.
Dr. Shlomit Avni Vakin, Senior Director of MTOH, shared a broad ministerial perspective on employee retention activities, and Haya Bahar Amzaleg presented the findings of a new longitudinal study on field training, examining the direct impact of training in social services departments on organizational resilience and long-term employee retention.
The center of the day featured a highly instructive panel titled “The Challenge of Employee Retention,” moderated by Rakefet Atzmon and featuring Mr. Ido Zloty, Director of the Social Services Department at the Sderot Municipality, Ms. Liat Halavetz, Director of the “Professions in Shortage” program at JDC (Tevet), and Dr. Shlomit Avni Vakin, Senior Director of MTOH.
In the second part, attendees participated in three professional and practical discussion circles designed to formulate practical solutions:
- A discussion on personal encounters with the retention challenge, led by Dr. Avital Valler and Nitzah Kamil;
- An examination of the Central School’s role as a shaping factor in employee retention, led by Chava Kleinman and Sarit Tzarfati;
- A workshop on supporting managers in dealing with human resource challenges, led by Orly Avrahami and Julie Oz.
The study day concluded with the understanding that employee retention is the anchor for the system’s stability, and that investment in human capital is the primary response to the current challenges. In light of this, the Central School will continue to lead the development of leadership and professional tools that will ensure the resilience and continued service of employees in welfare services.
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