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Reshet Helps Ethiopian-Israelis Overcome Barriers and Enter the Israeli Workplace
Tamani arrived in Israel from his native Ethiopia in 1991 with his wife and three children. Eager to work and fulfill his role as family breadwinner, Tamani took part-time menial jobs. Yet, despite his determined spirit and strong work ethic, Tamani was having a difficult time adapting to Israel’s western lifestyle.
After five years of searching but failing to secure permanent employment, Tamani fell into a state of despair. The strain of subsisting on the meager government assistance had taken its toll on his family and his marriage fell apart. Tamani’s hope and self-esteem hit an all time low. Meanwhile, across town, JDC was starting the Reshet Employment Incubator Program in Rehovot. Reshet, literally the word for network in Hebrew is also an acronym for the program — Continuum of Employment Services. The program offers Ethiopian-Israelis the crucial support they need to translate their desire to work into real job opportunities. Having already piloted successfully in Ashdod, Reshet in Rehovot sought to find its participants full-time employment within the Israeli job market — renewing their sense of dignity and pride. Reshet is broken into three stages. Participants are broken into groups of about 20 where they are introduced to basic work concepts such as productivity, timetables, responsibility and teamwork. Next, participants are gently eased into employment through regular work placements. In the third and final stage, participants are accepted as regular paid employees of the company at which they were employed in stage two, while continuing to be monitored and supported by a Reshet employment counselor. The ongoing support of the employment counselor often serves as the most important part of the program. The one-on-one assistance helps identify the specific issues faced by participants and helps them, in turn, find solutions to overcome these barriers. In Tamani’s case, it was just a matter of finding the proper fit. Upon completion of the program, Tamani successively gained hire but he kept changing jobs. First he worked in a textile plant, then a power facility, and then again in a textile plant. Tamani was of course grateful to have finally found work, and yet, each job left him feeling less than completely fulfilled. After much searching and guidance from his Reshet employment counselor, Tamani was finally paired with a job perfectly suited to his needs and skills. Tamani now reports to Ben Gurion Airport daily, working behind the scenes as a storeman. The job includes many benefits; daily transportation to and from his home, a uniform which he wears proudly, and a hot lunch. Recently, in a speech to a mission visiting Reshet, Tamani proudly spoke about how his life has improved in the past year. When Tamani was first asked to present to the mission, he was interested but hesitant and explained that he "was indebted to his employer and couldn’t miss work just to give a speech." Once he finally agreed to speak, Tamani described himself as "very happy with his job and life in general." He praised Reshet for giving him the skills and confidence he needed to succeed adding that he would never forget the kindness of his counselor. Most importantly, he explained that now his children, who live with their mother, have "a newfound respect for their father." Tamani is but one of many Reshet success stories. Since the program opened its doors in 2002, Reshet employment incubators in Ashod and Rehovot have trained 300 Ethiopian-Israelis and nearly 70% of its graduates have found full-time employment. By 2007 JDC plans to expand the program to five additional locations with large Ethiopian-Israeli communities including Netanya, Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat. March 2006 |
