“An Honorable Living” is an employment program implemented by JDC-Israel and the Ministry of Employment, Commerce, and Industry. It aims to integrate ultra-orthodox Jewish men into the labor market by providing them with training in vocations that are in demand, and by helping them with job placement. The vocational training course met two-three evenings a week; during the day, participants continued to attend a yeshiva, and to receive the benefit for which they are eligible as full-time yeshiva students. This report presents the findings of a longitudinal study that followed the students from their decision to study a vocation, through their admission to a vocational training course, to their integration into employment. The subject was examined from the perspective of graduates and dropouts, teachers, directors of vocational training institutes, and employers.
The study population included all of the participants in any of the 12 vocational courses offered in the first cycle of the project. Data were collected at two points in time: (1) at the conclusion of the various courses, between October 2002 and December 2003, using self-administered questionnaires; and (2) between May and June 2004, six-12 months after the conclusion of each vocational training course, through telephone interviews with graduates and dropouts. The following were among the study’s findings:
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Twenty-six percent of the participants were from Hassidic groups, 17% attended Lithuanian-oriented yeshivas, 41% defined themselves as ultra-orthodox Sephardi Jews or did not identify with any group, and 16% defined themselves as ultra-orthodox Zionists or religious Zionists. Twenty-four percent reported having become religious (baalei tshuva). Forty-six percent were emplyed to some extent before entering the program.
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The main reasons cited for entering vocational training were financial, particularly consistent difficulty earning a living (54%). Other reasons included the desire to become more professional (39%) or to expand their horizons (30%). Reasons for choosing this particular project included the low tuition (53%), ultra-orthodox nature of the training institutes (44%), convenient class hours (38%), and/or easy admission requirements (34%). The reasons of those who had been employed were similar: They, too, represented a mix of financial hardship and a desire to work professionally, rather than in odd jobs.
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At the time of follow-up, 53% of the graduates were employed and 23% were seeking employment. Of the graduates who had not been employed prior to entering the project, 38% were employed at the time of follow-up, and an additional 25% were seeking employment.
Eighteen percent of all graduates were working in the vocation they had learned. Thirty-six percent of those who started a course dropped out. However, 57% of the dropouts were employed at the time of follow-up. -
Both graduates and employers indicated that the graduates’ professional and social integration into employment has been better than expected, such that the concerns of both have been proven to have been exaggerated.
This report presents several measures for evaluating the success of the project. It also includes conclusions and recommendations regarding the recruitment of course participants, the types of assistance they need and the means necessary to reduce course dropout and facilitate job placement. Preliminary conclusions regarding recruitment, screening, and training were presented to the steering committee during the first stage of the study, and some have already been implemented. This study was conducted with the assistance of JDC-Israel.