For over 25 years, Ethiopian Israelis have been attempting to break out of the harsh socio-economic reality in which they live and integrate into Israeli society. Tech-Career, provides an innovative solution and a unique opportunity for Ethiopian Israelis to climb the socio-economic ladder and become financially independent. Tech-Career offers them professional technological training, personal development workshops and job placement services to acquire the knowledge, experience and skills to succeed in the Israeli high tech industry.
Tech-Career, founded in 2003 by Asher Elias, a member of the Ethiopian Israeli community, offers Ethiopian Israeli young adults professional technological training, personal development workshops and job placement services. Our combined training programs offer participants the opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to succeed in Israeli high tech industries, to develop their careers and to make the transition from economic and social dependence to independence. To date, all Tech-Career graduates are employed in Israeli high tech industries as software developers or software quality assurance professionals. Our aim is to ensure that by 2012 at least 1,000 Ethiopian Israelis will be working in Israeli high tech industries. We believe that our graduates and others like them will be the future leaders and social activists of the Ethiopian Israeli community.
The high tech industry is one of the most sought after, rapidly developing and financially rewarding industries in the Israeli job market, with a constant demand for professional employees. Fewer than 50 Ethiopian Israelis currently work in the high tech industry in Israel; most are graduates of Tech-Career. When Tech-Career was established in 2003, there were just four Ethiopian Israelis working professionally in the high tech industry. The majority of young Ethiopian Israelis have neither the matriculation nor psychometric exam grades required for acceptance into university technology faculties and the expensive tuition at Israel's colleges rule these out as a reasonable option.Tech-Career's Technology Training Program provides an innovative solution and a unique opportunity for Ethiopian Israelis to attain high level employment and climb the socio-economic ladder quickly.
Name of Organization:Tech-Career
Number of Paid Staff:4
Number of Volunteers:10
Total Organizational Expenses:$1,203,000
% of Organizational Overhead Expenses:16%
Tech-Career's innovative, comprehensive approach achieves results quickly. Before attending Tech-Career, our students generally work at odd jobs, earning minimum wage. In contrast, our graduates earn above average salaries. Tech-Career is committed to the placement of each of our graduates and their integration in the competitive high tech industry. Therefore, we work closely with our students to ensure placement. Our students receive the tools necessary to succeed, to manage and develop their careers and to make the transition from economic and social dependence to independence. Tech-Career identifies employment opportunities, establishes and strengthens relationships with high tech companies, and develops relationships with government agencies and placement organizations. Tech-Career has good relationships with a wide variety of companies in Israel's high tech industry for the purposes of training our students in the specific fields and latest technology required by the high tech market and to ensure job placement. Tech-Career is the only organization of its kind that commits to placing its graduates in the high tech industry.
Yossi Vanda graduated from Tech-Career's Technology Training Program as a .Net Software Developer in August, 2008. Yossi made aliya in 1990 and grew up in Jerusalem. He graduated from Boyer High School in 2001, where he specialized in music and computers. In the army, Yossi served as a combat medic. Yossi began a psychology degree at the Open University but deferred his studies in order to study computer programming at Tech-Career. Yossi has volunteered with a number of organizations and worked with special needs children. From the age of 20, Yossi has served as legal guardian of his younger siblings. Yossi was one of the first graduates of his class to begin his career in high tech. He now works for the John Bryce Training Center, the largest computer training center in Israel where he teaches computer programming. His presence there has already made a real impact on his students: he is proof that young Ethiopian Israelis are not only capable of having careers in high tech but also of teaching others complex high tech subjects.
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Name:Naomi Zimmerman
Title:Resource Development Director
Address:Kibbutz Nachshon, 40298 Isreal
Telephone:(972) 8-9278700
Email:naomi@tech-career.org
Website:www.tech-career.org