Revolution in IDF screening: New test will identify potential - alongside expansion of programs in the periphery
The IDF is planning a revolution in its screening process: a new test will identify potential in candidates whose scores did not reflect their abilities. Meanwhile, the "Gsharim" program is expanding in the periphery to expose teenagers to technology, aiming to reduce gaps and increase representation in technological tracks.
The IDF is planning a revolution in the pre-enlistment screening process, including a new test designed to identify potential and abilities in candidates whose scores or educational background were not reflected in existing tests. The test, led by the Behavioral Sciences Department in cooperation with the Manpower Directorate, will examine executive functions and information processing such as memory, concentration, and planning, and does not rely on school knowledge. The IDF hopes the tool will allow identifying undiscovered capabilities and give opportunities even to candidates without a high school diploma to qualify for desirable positions. Simultaneously, the "Gsharim" program in middle schools is expanding, aiming to expose teenagers from the periphery to the world of technology. The program, established in 2021 in cooperation with the Intelligence Directorate and the Education Corps, has expanded from five municipalities to 40 and reaches about 17,000 students. The gap is evident in the data: 6.2% of students in the periphery studied computer science compared to 12.4% in the center. The program integrates into "Psifas" by the Head of the Manpower Directorate, Major General Dado Bar Kalifa, which aims to expand representation of periphery youth in technological tracks, with a target of 30% participants from the periphery. The article notes that there is still no data to determine to what extent the gap has narrowed.