Beer Sheva College of Technology

Beer Sheva College of Technology was founded in 1954 by Golda Meir as the first center for vocational training in Israel due to a specific need at the time of the newly-developed aerospace industry and other industries as well. In its fiftieth year (2004) it was awarded the Beer Sheva City Prize for Excellence in Technological Education.

The main purpose of the college remains to train practical engineers and technicians in numerous areas of technology. Today it is the largest technical college in Israel for practical engineers, running study programs in conjunction with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor. Some 1,700 of its 2,000 students attend engineering courses recognized by the Government Institute for Technology and Science Training, and 80% of its graduates go on to work in their field of study.

The college is a leader in terms of technical education with programs for target populations that serve Bedouin, single mothers, ultra-orthodox, immigrants, and pre-army teens. The college offers certificates and diplomas in the following subjects

• Architecture and interior desig
• Graphic design
• Civil engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Electronics
• Automobile and mechanical engineering
• Computer and software engineering
• Industrial engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Chemical engineering for laboratory and industry
• Natural gas engineering
• Technological preparation course for engineering studies for incoming students

More than 55,000 people have graduated from the college, with hundreds more graduating each year of whom half have qualified as technicians or practical engineers. Amongst its graduates are CEOs, heads of local governments, heads of educational institutions, and people with key jobs in technical professions.

Erez College

Erez College is a vocational training college that started in an old apartment block in the development town of Shlomi near Israel’s north-western border with Lebanon. It was established in 1983 with the aid of the Jewish Agency’s Foundation for the Development of the Galilee. Their goal is to assist people to help themselves achieve upward mobility. It provides education and vocational skills training to enable them to get jobs, advance in their individual fields, and attain financial independence.

Erez College works in collaboration with government offices (Ministries of Economy, Education, Health, Agriculture and Energy) and provides formal college-certification for a wide range of courses. Among those studying there are soldiers completing active duty, new immigrants, employees seeking professional development or change of profession, and unemployed residents from throughout the Western Galilee. About 15% to 25% of Erez College annual student population is from the small town of Shlomi (population 7,000) with its high rate of unemployment and low income per capita relative to the national average. Shlomi’s founders emigrated from North Africa to Israel in the mid-1950s and in the 1990s absorbed a large number of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

After nearly 30 years in the original building it was eventually renovated to include additional apartments to accommodate the ever-growing number of students. Erez College recently moved to a new campus near the entrance to Shlomi. This new campus currently serves over 600 students annually and has the potential to accommodate up to 1,500 students per year. It has over 12,000 graduates with approximately 80% finding employment in a related vocation.

Since 1996, Erez College has been training practical engineers, initially in computer programming and later in industrial engineering and management, with specializations in marketing and logistics. It has recently opened a department for “practical engineer training in machine technology”, a field much in demand within the Western Galilee’s widespread industry of food production and metal processing. Also, it is a center for providing vocational training in the field of natural gas engineering, an important new industry in Israel.

The vocational training courses include:

• Mobile phone and tablet repairs
• Computer Aided Design (CAD)
• Industrial quality control
• Skills for middle management
• Coaching for ADHD
• Day care workers
• Office management
• Bookkeeping and salary computation

Tel Hai Technical College

Tel Hai Technical College was founded and registered in 1972. It is a public benefit company whose shares are held by the United Jewish Appeal and the Jewish Agency. It has a current population of about 800 students, 100 faculty members, and 20 administrative and management staff.

The college is located in the Upper Galilee, at the foot of the slopes of the Naftali Mountains and overlooking the Hula Valley. Sixty-five percent of its students are from the nearby town of Kiryat Shemona and surrounding villages, and its graduates contribute to local industrial development. In the heart of an area that combines tourism and recreation, nature reserves and rural landscape, the campus has a peaceful and unique atmosphere The college is one of ten leading technical colleges in the country and has been training technicians and practical engineers in a variety of disciplines for more than three decades. It is also a magnet for students from around the country who study a variety of technical, economic, and media study tracks. Students enjoy the quality education, personal attention, and scenery that Tel Hai provides. The college offers 14 study options for practical engineering diplomas in its three main divisions of engineering, communications, and architecture. Thousands of the college’s graduates fill key positions in industry and utilities all over the country.

Located on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Technological College serves some 650 students who study for national diplomas in practical engineering. The college has a calm and pleasant atmosphere with classrooms and a state-of-the-art technological library that overlook the Sea of Galilee. The College prides itself on supporting its students and assisting them in achieving their potential.

Full time students can choose to study Architecture and Interior Design, Sound or Industrial Management and Logistics. Part-time students can choose to study Water Technologies, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering or Industrial and Product Management. Kinneret’s Junior Engineering track (Grades 13 and 14) provides pre-military practical engineering studies for high school graduates in collaboration with the Israeli Air Force in Electronic Engineering or Mechatronics Engineering.