Conceived as a means to integrate Ethiopian Israelis into high-tech and Israeli society on the whole, and as a means to continue to satisfy the growing demand in Israel for high-tech engineers, the Jerusalem College of Technology’s “Ethiopians for Engineers” program is the only one of its kind in Israel to integrate Ethiopian Israelis into high-tech at a post high school level.  This includes Ethiopian women who are studying at the JCT Women’s School of Engineering.

One of the goals of the program is to create role models for Ethiopian Israeli youth to aspire to emulate.  Half of Ethiopian Israelis are under 18 and, with little exception, there are no Ethiopian role models in high-tech or business fields.  Once the students graduate, they themselves will become the role models.  As high-tech is the cornerstone of Israel’s economic future, this continuity will help enable all Israelis to share equally and benefit from the growing high-tech industry.

Rather than completing their studies in 4 years (the normal academic program at JCT), we are allowing the students up to 6 years to complete their studies for a degree:  one year of the University Preparatory program and 5 years of the regular academic course program at the College.

It is our hope that within a few years there will be high-tech engineers, scientists and industrial managers from the Ethiopian community who will be absorbed into Israel’s high-tech industries.

June 1, 2004 - Ethiopian graduation

Photography by: Debbi Cooper