Job Readiness training for the ultra-orthodox community
In August 2017, Melbourne’s Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre, in partnership with Adass Israel, ran the first of a series of workshops entitled ‘Tools and Techniques to Find Employment’.
Participants
Having noticed a growing need for employment in the wider Jewish community and, more specifically, the Ultra-Orthodox community, Jewish Care partnered with Adass Israel to offer relevant and appropriate training specific to employment needs of the Ultra-Orthodox community. Initially offered to male members of the Adass Israel community, this workshop was the culmination of a number of initiatives the Centre has been running in the Ultra-Orthodox community.
Tailored to the specific needs of members of the Ultra-Orthodox community, the workshop covered a range of topics including what to expect if working outside of the community, Kashrut, Shabbat and holidays, daily prayer and learning time, as well as working in mixed-gender environments. These areas were combined with other employment topics to determine which are non-negotiable and how to deal with them professionally.
Additionally, a variety of more-general employment topics were covered, including job-seeking strategies and being employed; resume writing and responding to key selection criteria; and interviewing, networking, and employability skills.
“The truth is that in a competitive job market, you would be extremely lucky to have a great job simply fall in your lap. It takes effort and determination,” says Simon Jedwab, Service Development Manager. “You could say that getting a job is, in itself, a job!”
Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre has been running similar employment workshops for many years with great success in the wider Jewish community. As well as a second men’s workshop scheduled, Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre will offer the first women’s workshop in the future; both organised for members of the Ultra-Orthodox community. RSVPs for workshops are essential. To express interest in attending, please contact Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre on 8517 5912 or email eec@jewishcare.org.au.
