CAREER DEVELOPMENT in ISRAEL: Characteristics, Services and Challenges

Israel is a small, developed western-oriented country and a representative democracy, situated in the Middle East. It is surrounded by Oriental, Islamic countries, and has suffered continuously from security threats and wars since its inception in 1948. In spite of the lack of national resources, Israel has established a strong, advanced economy and a firm industry; in 2010 it was accepted to the OECD. The last 20 years were characterized by a flourishing of higher education in Israel. This trend stems from a significant increase in the number of colleges providing undergraduate and Master level graduate studies throughout the country, as well as by new majors and fields of study emerging in academic studies. In the last decade, national interest in career development has burgeoned, a process that can be traced to the economic dynamics of globalization as well as a recognized need to reduce social gaps.