In collaboration with the TALMA Association (The Israel Program for Excellence in English) Chevron Mediterranean Limited (CML) has developed a unique program aiming to enhance English proficiency among students from Israel's geographical periphery and make the field of science accessible to them.
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The program also offers for the very first time an opportunity to integrate practical engineering studies with internships on natural gas production platforms.
Like many students in Israel, Elia Amram, 28, began her studies at Ruppin College of Technology with limited proficiency in English, hindering her ability to engage with academic articles and navigate the labor market – where even those who want to trade on eBay need strong English skills, let alone seek employment in companies that also do business abroad.
Chevron Mediterranean Limited, the operator of the Leviathan and Tamar natural gas platforms, recognizes the significance of this pressing need. As part of its social investment efforts in Israel, the company has established an exclusive program in partnership with the TALMA Association aimed at empowering young individuals to enhance their English language skills.
As part of the program, students partake in a course designed to enhance their English proficiency, aiming to meet internationally recognized standards (CEFR standard). These courses are conducted by English-speaking instructors from the TALMA Association, spanning several technological colleges. Last year, the Labor Ministry also explored the possibility of offering similar courses.
"One of the things I most appreciated about the course is the focus on practical English skills in the real world. We didn't just learn to memorize, but also how to use English in situations we encounter in our personal and professional lives – writing emails, making presentations or conversing with colleagues or clients," Amram says.
"The skills we learn in this course are directly applicable to our daily lives. I believe the course significantly improved my confidence in using English, including in choosing a future career, and I'm sure my classmates feel the same way."
TALMA CEO and Executive Director Ido Mahatzri says that the skills acquired by students through the program serve as a springboard, opening doors to sought-after positions in international companies.
“The cooperation between Chevron and TALMA in technological colleges throughout the country allows students to improve their English level, with particular emphasis on their professional English," he says. "Advancing oral and written language skills allows these students to integrate into the job market in desirable global positions in international companies."
These courses are not exclusively intended for individuals interested in pursuing careers at Chevron, and there are no strings attached on the part of the participants. However, the great interest of young men and women regarding the opportunity to work on Chevron's natural gas treatment and production platforms led the company to expand its collaboration with Ruppin College of Technology. For the first time, students studying at the college can explore the possibility of a summer job and internship on one of the platforms it operates.
Chevron runs a meticulously planned social investment program in Israel, driven by a comprehensive needs assessment process, involving interviews and meetings with dozens of stakeholders to determine the most strategic areas for the company to establish and nurture partnerships with organizations and associations addressing social issues.
Following this process, three primary pillars were selected: technological education (STEM), economic development and environmental initiatives, forming the core focus of the company's social investment program. These programs are geared toward enhancing English proficiency while the studies at Ruppin College buttress the pillars of economic development and technological education.
Another program endorsed by the company facilitates accessibility to technological studies for students residing in the country's geographical periphery through mobile laboratories provided by the Ofanim Association, an organization dedicated to advancing the prospects of children and youth in Israel, particularly in STEM fields.
Many students tend to shy away from challenging technological fields of study, potentially affecting their future prospects. Furthermore, there are individuals who don't have access to technological studies and hands-on experimentation due to a lack of teachers and facilities within educational institutions.
This prompted Ofanim to take action by providing accessible technological education to students in Israel's social and geographical periphery. To that end, the organization equipped buses with fully functional laboratories containing educational resources such as laptops, 3D printers, microscopes, VR headsets and other tools that facilitate hands-on, immersive learning experiences. The buses arrive at each school according to a regular schedule, and about 18 students participate in each class.
"The program gives students in Tiberias an opportunity for meaningful learning in the field of science and technology at a very high level and thus brings them closer and exposes them to the world of academia. I am very pleased that next year the program will be expanded at the school to additional grades, so that more students will be exposed to this valuable and important program," says Hagit Kanfi, principal of the Tachkemoni school in Tiberias - one of the schools supported by Chevron.
Ofanim CEO Eli Dror says that the organization "reaches over 4,000 girls and boys every week, with an innovative and enriching activity in the worlds of scientific and technological education" which is "made possible thanks to strategic and courageous partnerships."
"The activity exposes and encourages the children to strive as far as possible. Long-term support like Chevron's allows us to plan for the long term and to invest in in-depth processes whose positive results we are seeing on the ground," he adds.
Amir Ben-David, manager of Chevron Mediterranean Limited’s social investments in Israel, concludes "Chevron puts a lot of thought into choosing the social and environmental projects that it operates. This community dimension joins the many benefits on the environmental, economic and geopolitical levels that the citizens of Israel are enjoying thanks to natural gas."