Employment Initiatives:
Unemployment is one of the gravest problems facing Ethiopian Jews in Israel today. The most recent complete employment survey (Central Bureau of Statistics1999), showed that 53% of Ethiopian Israelis were not in the labor-force in any form. 15% of Ethiopians aged 25-54 who were in the labor force were jobless - 13% of men and 18% of women.
Rates for the overall Israeli population in the same period were 7% of men and 8% of women. More recent partial studies indicate that while the situation has improved slightly, large discrepancies still exist between the Ethiopian and mainstream Israeli populations.

IAEJ Employment Initiatives are establishing long-term policy changes and program initiatives for Ethiopian employment, based on current service oriented work being done in a variety of sectors. IAEJ works closely with organizations, municipal offices and government ministries, pushing them to take steps to alleviate this critical problem.

Education Initiatives:
Education is one of the most important factors in successful integration of immigrant populations. Despite advancements in recent years, many Ethiopian students 'must still overcome' severe barriers in education. 60% of Ethiopians students in grades 1-6 are below their class level in Hebrew and Mathematics. Only 34% of Ethiopian students pass national matriculation exams - less than half the national average. 6.2% of Ethiopian students drop out of school between the ages of 14-17 - this is double the national average.

IAEJ raises awareness in the Ministry of Education and in the Knesset concerning this issue. IAEJ Education initiatives are working to increase the attention directed towards the educational problems that plague Ethiopian students: high drop-out rates, low matriculation exam scores, low academic achievement. IAEJ advocates for policy changes and program initiatives that will address this crucial issue at the national level.

Community Empowerment Project:
IAEJ's Community Empowerment Project addresses the scarcity of trained indigenous leadership within the Ethiopian community in Israel. In order for the community to successfully integrate into Israeli society, it must produce leadership with the knowledge and skills to secure community members' social, legal and communal rights. That leadership must also be capable of establishing a network and working cooperatively to meet the needs of local and national Ethiopian communities.

The Community Empowerment Project provides tools, guidance and support for activists and grassroots non-profit organizations initiating change within their local neighborhoods and communities. Through contact, coordination, seminars and workshops IAEJ helps develop strong connections between local, regional and national representatives of various Ethiopian Jewish communities.