A national program for integrating practical work experience into undergraduate academic studies. The program sought to bridge the gap between academic studies and the demands of the job market and to enable students from Israel’s social and geographic periphery to gain relevant professional experience during their studies.
The program has its roots in HaDavar HaBa, a national program launched in 2012 by the Edmund de Rothschild Foundation and Aluma to support academic graduates in finding their first jobs. Aluma ran the program from its inception. In 2019, the Council for Higher Education chose Aluma to co-lead the learning frameworks for work-integrated courses in 21 academic institutions across the country, under the name Work-Integrated Academia.
The program helped over 15,000 students participating in over 1,100 academic courses to incorporate hands-on experience in their curriculums, completing internships in 2,000 organizations, institutions, and businesses.
As well as the hands-on experience, the program also included a theory-based course that provided students with practical tools for the job market.
The program was successfully implemented as part of “Academia 360” following a call for proposals by the Council for Higher Education. From the 2024-2025 academic year, institutions have been running the internship programs internally — testament to Aluma’s ability to develop models and embed them in public systems.