Expand Employment Possibilities in the Digital Age by Removing Distance Barriers
Modern information and communication technologies enable us to stay connected from any place and at any time. This offers the potential to create new opportunities in the employment market that can increase output and improve productivity while driving economic growth.
The teleworking model enables populations that could not have worked in certain organizations to find employment and work at times convenient for them by working from home (e.g. workers from the Jewish ultra-orthodox population who for modesty reasons would normally refrain from working in certain companies, or single mothers that must leave work relatively early in order to care for their children). The teleworking model enables innovative employment arrangements that create new employment opportunities in the market.
Integration of teleworking arrangements offers extensive economic advantages at the country level – less people that must drive to work is expected to reduce traffic, air pollution and the need to build new roads. It can also contribute to increased economic efficiency, promoting economic growth.
Based on the potential of using digital tools, the National Initiative will examine possible solutions to expand the employment market in Israel and to reduce distance barriers that hinder the ability to take advantage of employment opportunities. Particular attention will be given to examining possibilities for promoting teleworking models in the private and public sectors by creating standardization for teleworking arrangements in Israel; providing tools and incentives to organizations that integrate teleworking models into their work culture; and facilitating the development of databases of telework positions as a platform for population groups that can benefit from this work arrangement[51]. This in turn will enable expanded integration into the labor force of population groups currently unable to fully realize their employment potential.

Distance Employment Centers in the Eastern Negev
(in cooperation with the Eastern Negev Regional Cluster)
As part of the activities of the Eastern Negev Cluster, in the framework of the National Initiative, remote employment centers have been established in eastern Negev local governments. Remote courses in employment areas have been conducted, and workstations with sharing tools are available so that employees from the Negev can work with employers located in central Israel.
These employment centers give those residing in the Eastern Negev cluster technological and professional tools to overcome geographic distances and disparities and to promote employment diversity, underscoring quality employment for residents of the eastern Negev.