Fri Sep 20 07:40:45 UTC 2024: ## Negev Development Key to Israel’s Future, Lauder Center Conference Argues

**Beersheba, Israel** – The Lauder Center for the Promotion of Employment in the Negev and the Galilee held its fifth annual employers’ conference this week, focusing on the critical need for development in the Negev region.

“The country needs to wake up and understand once and for all that the development of the Negev is the real future of the State of Israel,” declared Avi Bleshnikov, chairman of the Lauder Center.

The conference, supported by Ronald Lauder and the Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA), brought together dozens of representatives from industry, public bodies, security organizations, and leading companies.

Discussions centered around the unique challenges facing the Negev in attracting and retaining skilled workers. While pre-existing hurdles like a shortage of engineers and limited entry-level opportunities for recent graduates were exacerbated by the ongoing war, the conference underscored the region’s potential for growth.

“The last year was unlike any previous year for employment in the Negev,” explained Keren Cohen, director of the Lauder Center on behalf of JNF-USA. “The challenges we faced before the war were joined by the need for many Israelis to reinvent themselves in the employment arena, while companies grapple with the war’s economic fallout.”

Avraham Maimon, chairman of the southern branch of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, emphasized the importance of resilience in the face of these challenges. “This war is unlike any other,” he said, “and yet, we see that employment resilience is the engine for growth.”

The conference highlighted the potential of the Negev to become a thriving industrial center, echoing the vision of David Ben-Gurion and Ronald Lauder. JNF-USA Chief Tali Tzur reiterated the organization’s commitment to strengthening communities in the region.

The Lauder Center, JNF-USA, and the Manufacturers Association of Israel continue to collaborate on innovative solutions to attract qualified workers to the Negev and build a prosperous future for the region.

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