Talitha Kumi Center for Vocational & Educational Training - Beit Jala, was established in 2006 based on the needs of the local community and the labor market for professional graduates specialized in the field of hospitality in general, with all its sub-specialties. It aims to assist our Palestinian people, especially our youth who have not been fortunate enough to complete their academic studies successfully or who have the ability, capability, and desire for vocational education to achieve self-fulfillment through studying at the center and obtaining a profession that enables them to live with dignity and build a future for themselves and their families.
The Talitha Kumi Center was the first to implement the learning-in-the-workplace system since its establishment in 2006, believing that theoretical learning is incomplete without practical application, as theoretical knowledge fades over time while acquired skills last forever. Students study theoretical and practical lessons for two days at the center and undergo four days of practical training in the job market. The presence of a guesthouse affiliated with the center distinguishes Talitha Kumi Center, where students are trained under the supervision of specialized trainers before being sent for practical training in the job market.

In addition to the center's work in implementing several training projects for various local community institutions, we are distinguished by a team of specialized and competent trainers, as well as a strong and highly efficient administrative team in this field, such as the training project for Bedouin tents and guest houses through the Ibrahim al-Khalil Path project in the eastern and northern countryside.

Historical overview:

Talitha Kumi is an educational institution located in Beit Jala near Bethlehem, providing an opportunity for children to receive an education from kindergarten to the end of secondary school (Tawjihi).

Talitha Kumi was established as the first educational institution for girls in the Middle East in the city of Jerusalem in 1851. Since its inception, Talitha Kumi has been keen on providing general education and vocational training alongside academic education. Talitha Kumi was a pioneer in the 19th century in vocational education and training for females, where they studied at that time home economics and kindergarten teaching. Talitha Kumi moved from Jerusalem to Beit Jala after the Nakba of 1948. In 1980, Talitha Kumi became a mixed school that includes a kindergarten, an academic school, a girls' dormitory, a guesthouse, a vocational training center, and a community college.

In 1996, in collaboration with the German OTTO BENECKE Stiftung Foundation and following the dual German system adopted by the institution (theoretical training accompanied by practical training), theoretical courses were held along with supplementary vocational training at the institution's guesthouse and in hotels located in the Bethlehem and Jerusalem areas. This dual system was the first of its kind in the region.

And after the successful launch of this training program, Talitha Qumi Community College was inaugurated. We started our programs in the year 2000 after obtaining the necessary accreditation from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The college grants a recognized diploma in the field of hospitality with specializations in "Hotel Management," "Food and Beverage Management," and "Accommodation Management." In 2016, it obtained accreditation for a diploma in intermediate technical accounting. Students qualify through the prescribed courses and necessary training in tourist facilities and companies to take the comprehensive diploma exam from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as to join the job market.

In 2006, the Talitha Kumi Center for Vocational Training and Education was established based on the needs of the local community and the labor market for professional graduates specialized in the field of hospitality in general and all its sub-specialties. It aims to assist our Palestinian people, especially our youth who have not been fortunate enough to successfully complete their academic studies or who have the ability, capability, and desire for vocational education to realize their potential through studying at the center and obtaining a profession that enables them to live with dignity and build a future for themselves and their families. We believe that practical training can be a gateway to unlocking the latent energies of the youth so that they can contribute something beneficial to themselves and their country.

Talitha Koum Center was the first to implement the learning system in a work environment since its establishment in 2006, believing that theoretical learning is incomplete without practical application, as theoretical knowledge fades over time, but acquired skills last forever. Students study theoretical and practical lessons for three days at the center and undergo practical training in the job market for three days. The presence of a guesthouse affiliated with the center distinguishes Talitha Koum Center, where students are trained under the supervision of specialized trainers before being sent for practical training in the job market.

In addition to the center's work in implementing training projects for various local community institutions, we are distinguished by a team of specialized and competent trainers and a strong, highly efficient administrative team in this field, such as the training project for Bedouin tents and guest houses through the Ibrahim Al-Khalil Trail project in the eastern and northern countryside.

Our vision

Giving successful high school graduates interested in working in the tourism sector the opportunity to achieve self-fulfillment in their profession by discovering their hobbies and developing their skills and abilities, and refining them with scientific knowledge over two years of study and research. Also, giving our youth who were not fortunate enough to complete their academic studies successfully, or who have the ability, capability, and desire for vocational education, the opportunity to realize themselves through studying at the center and obtaining a profession that enables them to live with dignity and build a future for themselves and their families.

Our message

As the administration of Talitha Kumi College, we aspire to give everyone the opportunity to be a successful person in their life and to become an active member of our Palestinian society by giving us the chance to build their professional future with honesty and confidence. We want our students to discover and develop their unique skills and talents, and we believe that every person has something special that distinguishes them, but they need someone to polish it to shine. Therefore, we accept any student who has completed the secondary stage (Tawjihi) regardless of their grade, or even if they have not completed it, to study at Talitha Kumi.

We also aim to enrich the growing tourism market with qualified and trained labor under the guidance of the best trainers to uplift this sector and support our country's economy. Therefore, we provide our students with detailed knowledge of the fundamentals of hospitality, enhanced not only by theoretical courses but also by practical application courses in the college's laboratories equipped with all the necessary tools and devices. This ensures that students are trained efficiently under the supervision of specialized and competent trainers in the field of hospitality, alongside practical field training in various tourism institutions. Moreover, we aim to exchange expertise with various specialized colleges in our field, both locally and globally, especially in Germany, with the goal of continuously improving the level of training and education at the college.

What distinguishes Talitha Kumi Community College is the presence of a guesthouse consisting of 50 double rooms, where the practical training for the college students is conducted under the supervision of trainers before they are sent for practical training in the job market.

Our goals

The college aims to:

• Providing graduates with a diploma level in hotel management in its various branches and departments, and enhancing their skills to enable them to work in the tourism and hotel establishment.
• The use of modern technology and computer systems applied in hotel operations.
• The contribution of graduates to the development of administrative work in hotels and restaurants in a way that serves the public interest.
• Providing the necessary skills for graduates that qualify them to develop work in tourism institutions, especially hotels and restaurants.

The center aims to:

• Developing individuals' capabilities according to a scientific and practical methodology that meets their needs and the needs of society.
• Opening opportunities for students who were unable to complete their academic studies.
• Transforming the inactive element into an active one that serves and elevates the community.
• Preparing, qualifying, and empowering a select group of young Palestinian cadres to contribute to change, development, and urban construction.

Our partners in Germany

Talitha College has partnered with the Dietrich Bonhöffer Haus hotel in Berlin to train the college's students and center in all its departments for two weeks. Those who receive a very good evaluation in this training are eligible to apply for a one-year work and training program at the same hotel.

"The right of every person to work, to freely choose their work, to just and favorable conditions of work, and to protection against unemployment."
Article (23) of the International Labour Organization