Gvahim Bus Driver Project
Training of bus drivers for New Immigrants (Olim)
The Non-profit organization Gvahim, together with the Jewish Agency for Israel, Kavim Bus Company, and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, have developed a joint program for training and hiring new immigrants – bus drivers.
The program’s main component is the professional training of bus drivers, obtaining a bus driving license, and their subsequent employment in the “Kavim” bus company.
The program includes the following stages:
- 1. Ulpan Hebrew – 5 months
- 2. The procedure for obtaining an Israeli driver’s license to drive a passenger car – parallel to studying in ulpan
- 3. Medical examinations at the Institute for Road Safety
- 4. Theoretical bus driving course (148 hours) – at the end of the ulpan
- 5. Practical bus driving course (at least 40 hours)
- 6. Employment with Kavim by the criteria for admission to work in the company
Eligibility criteria for the program:
- 1. Right to Law of Return
- 2. Secondary education
- 3. Driver’s license of one of the categories: B, C1, D
- 4. Age 21-55
- 5. Good health
- 6. Successfully passed the interview and testing of the ability to drive a car
Total number of participants – 24
Participants of the program are offered accommodation in the city of Ramle. There is a possibility of initial short-term accommodation in an apartment of the municipality for up to seven days to choose an apartment for rent for a year with rent to the apartment’s owner. The city provides support and advice to its participants, assistance to children in doing homework and Hebrew lessons, subsidies for clubs, and other additional services. The cost of apartments for rent in Ramla varies from 2.500 to 4.500 NIS. Per month, depending on the apartment size and the area of residence, it may change over time. Participants who are accepted to the program and who have started it undertake to complete it. Participants who do not finish without a valid reason are fined.
Register for the program via:
Schedule and cost of the program
| Schedule | Volume | Source of funding | |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2022 | Jewish Agency for Israel | Aliyah to Israel | |
| 1 October 2022 | 500 hours | Ministry of Aliyah and Integration | Beginning of the Ulpan |
| ~ September -November 2022 | Participants: 500 – 1.000 NIS, depending on the number of lessons before the tests | The procedure for confirming a foreign driver’s license for a passenger car includes a test for those whose driving experience is less than five years. | |
| December 2022 -January 2023 | Participants: 1,000 NIS – reimbursed by Kavim with the first salary | Comprehensive medical examinations at the Institute for Road Traffic Safety | |
| March 2023 | 148 hours | Company «Kavim» | Theoretical training course for bus drivers |
| April – May 2023 | 40 hours for each participant | Company «Kavim» | Practical driving course |
| June – July 2023 | Participants: about 300 NIS | Tests and obtaining a bus driving license | |
| August 2023 | Employment in the bus company “Kavim.” |
