Many professionals undergo preparatory procedures in one or more of the following frameworks before commencing employment: 

 Vocational Hebrew 
 Licensing and qualifying courses.
 Courses designed to help immigrants adapt  and update their skills to look for work.
 Professional retraining courses for academics.
 Professional training courses.

Vocational Ulpan

What is Vocational Hebrew?

Hebrew studies with a vocational orientation that emphasizes the professional aspects during the initial study programs.

Classes are organized according to the professions of the immigrants, e.g.:  doctors, engineers, etc. and is accompanied by guidance from a vocational psychologist, as well as well as a job placement coordinator.

For Whom is Vocational Hebrew  Intended?

 Professionals in technological fields.
 Paramedical professionals.

How is one accepted into Vocational Hebrew?

Professionals must contact the absorption coordinator at the branch office of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption in their place of residence to obtain a referral. For more information, see the Ministry of Education website.

Preparatory Courses for Licensing and Certification

The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption participates in the organization and financing of preparatory courses for licensing and certification exams for the following professions:

 Physicians
 Dentists
 Pharmacists
 Nurses
 Veterinarians
 Speech Therapists
 Lawyers
 Accountants

Note: Immigrants up to ten years in Israel, who are required to undergo licensing exams, and who are interested in participating in a preparatory course, should consult with the vocational coordinator in their place of residence.
Lawyers and accountants must fund their own participation in preparatory courses.

For more information on licensing procedures for medical professionals, see the Ministry of Health website.

Preparatory Courses for Licensing Exams for Accountants
and Lawyers

Preparatory courses for licensing exams for accountants and lawyers are made up of sub-courses of various subjects based on the requirements of the professional bodies (The Israel Bar Association and the Israel CPA Council, whichever pertains).
 
Each sub-course involves a set number of hours, and each student may study in a number of units during each semester in accordance with the decision of the professional body.

Tuition fees for these courses will be collected at the commencement of the second sub-course, at a rate of NIS 3 per study hour. The first course is free of charge.

New immigrants and returning residents who lawyers and accountants, who are within their period of eligibility and who wish to repeat a course must pay 20% of the cost of the course per unit.

New immigrants and returning residents whose period of eligibility has expired must pay the full tuition fees for the course. The institutions running the courses will collect the fees.

For additional information, see the Websites of the Israel CPA Council and the Israel Bar Association.

Below is a list of professionals who require licensing:
 Teachers
 Lawyers
 Psychologists
 Accountants
 Insurance Agents
 Physicians
 Travel Agents
 Dentists
 Tour Guides
 Pharmacists
 Drivers of Public Transportation Vehicles And heavy vehicles
 Registered Nurses
 Electricians
 Veterinarians
 Garage Managers
 Speech Therapists
 Crane Operators
 Optometrists
 Gas Workers
 X-Ray Technicians
 Real Estate Agents
 Laboratory Technicians
 Lifeguards
 Chemists
 Mohels

Retraining Courses

New immigrants who have difficulty finding work in their professions may be able to participate in retraining courses for another profession.
 
The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption organizes courses in fields that are in demand in the job market. The list of courses changes from time to time in accordance with demand.

Sample courses: automotive engineers can retrain as electrical engineers, software engineers, or technological instructors. Physicians can retrain in geriatrics, physical therapy, radiology, etc.

Applicants to retraining courses must meet with an admissions committee.

For additional information, see the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor website.

Professional Training Courses

These professional training courses are designed to train those who cannot find work in their professions, or who lack a profession and are experiencing difficulty in finding work.
The majority of courses are held under the auspices of the Ministry of Labor. Application is made through the Employment Service.

To obtain information, please contact the Employment Service office nearest you.

Ministry of Immigrant Absorption Assistance to Immigrants
Participating in Professional Courses

Tuition: participation in the tuition fees for courses sponsored by government ministries or public bodies.

  Tuition for Private Courses: immigrants who wish to participate in courses that do not exist in public frameworks but that have received official recognition by governmental agencies can receive financial participation in the tuition fees, up to certain amount that is adjusted from time to time and that is based on the costs of the course.

Assistance is given on a one-time basis, conditional upon Ministry budget and on the basis of the Employment Division's assessment of whether studies in a given course will increase participants' chances of finding employment.

Income Insurance: New immigrants within their first year following aliyah and who are unemployed, or who are in the process of looking for work, or who are studying in recognized courses, may be eligible for income insurance payments from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

Exam Fees: Immigrants who participate in licensing courses may be eligible for a refund of exam fees, with the exception of nurses.

In order to receive assistance, the immigrant must present a receipt of payment of fees to an employment coordinator at a branch office of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption nearest to their place of residence.

Participation in Travel Costs: Immigrants in the following categories, and who are not with the period of eligibility for receiving the Absorption Basket, may be eligible for a refund of travel expenses: 

  Immigrants in the direct absorption track who are not eligible for the Absorption Basket, and who are studying in an external ulpan outside of their place of residence.
  Immigrants who are studying in courses far from their place of residence.

For more information, consult with an employment coordinator and a branch office of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

Period of Eligibility

 Immigrants - up to 10 years.
 Returning Residents - up to two years from the date of return to Israel.

NOTE: Sufficient knowledge of Hebrew is essential in order to work in the majority of professional fields.

Terms of Eligibility for Assistance for Courses: 

 The immigrant must meet the admissions requirement for the course.
 The period of assistance lasts until the conclusion of the course.
 Assistance is given for one course only.