Belz recently had a conference about economic issues. The Belzer Rebbe sent a message to the conference that while Torah is the first priority, most Avreichim will not sit and learn their whole life but will at some point leave to make a living. The problem is that when they decide to leave kollel after x years they already have kids etc. and have no time to learn a profession. Therefore the Belzer Rebbe said that 1 or 2 afternoons a week the Avreichim should go and learn a profession and that they will not have any money deducted from their kollel stipend so that when they do leave kollel after x years they will have a profession and be able to work right away.
IMHO this is a great step forward both in the official recognition that not everyone is going to stay in kollel their whole life and the practical application of learning a profession while still in kollel.
The fact is that the Chasidic world has never really embraced the kollel only philosophy and has never looked down on people who work and therefore this is not such a big deal. It will be a big deal when the Yeshiva world comes to a similar conclusion.
Source: "אברך מחוץ לשעות הכולל - שילמד מקצוע"
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