Elections are looming in Israel and yet major employers are cutting jobs;  Orbotech, Partner Mobile and others are all saying goodbye to hundreds of workers, effectively dismissing thousands of years of accumulated experience and knowledge.

Throughout the OECD block, unemployment is on the rise. It has been predicted for sometime. Sadly, for all of Keyensian economic theory, central governments appear powerless to stop the trend for now.

While in London, I learned of two practical local initiatives, designed to make a difference. They are so simple yet effective. It does not take the proverbial rocket science to understand why they deserve a wider audience.

In the first instance, a finance company in central London is sponsoring an intensive training course for students in their final year at school. Those selected for the course will then be asked to complete a project. The best performers will be offered a year’s placement.

Now you may be shouting that two or three temporary positions is not going to make too much of a dent in a stat of millions of jobless. There again, if more people would follow this lead, just think what the overall national benefits could be.

A second and wider initiative has been sponsored by the London newspaper “The Evening Standard”. Launched just over a month ago, “Ladder For London” has secured over 320 new positions for apprenticeships. One of the campaigns main highlights to date has been the role taken by Metro Bank, the first new High Street Bank for over 100 years. Its chief exec, Craig Donaldson, who grew up in the poverty of a mining village, has pledged to recruit around 150 unemployed youngsters.

Bottom line? The global economic downturn may be having a negative effect on recruitment and wage levels. However, decision makers are far from powerless if would but consider policies that are “out of the box’….assuming that is possible for civil servants and politicians.