Institution Spotlight: Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center offers a promising future for West Bank students

Even in the bustling West Bank city of Ramallah, opportunities for economic success after finishing secondary school are elusive.

For students who have not succeeded in traditional academic programs, the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center (ETVTC) is a godsend.

The school’s leaders and staff continue to find new avenues to help young Palestinians improve their lives and their families’ economic future. In 2018 ETVTC partnered with the Palestinian Authority to offer a three-month pilot program in culinary arts for 12 young men serving prison sentences for non-violent crimes. At the end of the course, they received a certificate from the PA Ministry of Labor that will assist them in obtaining steady employment upon release. ETVTC staff members use their connections in the hospitality industry to help newly-released young men find jobs. 

Another student described the atmosphere of the school like being part of a family. When asked what she would tell younger students considering ETVTC, she said, “I would tell them that you came to the right place. It’s not only the teaching, it’s also having fun with the teachers. They are not only teachers but they are like friends, fathers, or brothers.”

A student in the information technology program gave high marks to the practical aspect of the curriculum which requires each student to do an outside placement with a business in order to finish his or her first year. “They prepare us totally for the world out there. They train us well so we will be ready.”

Learn more at the ETVTC institution page.