Only in Canada, you say? Israeli student finds the right training and experience at Assiniboine

Sergey Betehtin came to Assiniboine Community College to pursue training and experience he couldn’t get in his home country of Israel.

“I was looking for an interesting program in network technology. One of the best programs I found was here. And it’s not expensive, compared to programs in other provinces,” Sergey said.

“There is no program like this in Israel. You can take computer science for four or five years, but that’s too long. The short programs were low-quality. Assiniboine provides intensive study for a two-year diploma.”

Sergey graduated with a diploma in Network Administration Technology after he finished the practicum for his program.

His practicum at WGI Westman Group Inc., a group of steel companies which operate across Canada and the U.S., led to a summer job there.

Job opportunities are abundant in his field. “There are many positions available in Manitoba, Canada, the world. Every company has to have an IT (Information Technology) department.”

The federal and provincial governments encourage international students, he said.

“There are different programs for students to come, work and study here. The government wants students to come here, because they want to have educated people.”

The program “is even better than I thought. There’s lots to study, lots to do. I learned a lot.”

Sergey was able to supplement his income by working part-time in the college’s test centre on lunch breaks, evenings and weekends.

Sergey lived with a family of Canadians during the school year. They went camping together in Banff, a well-known Canadian resort.

He also visited other major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Winnipeg.

Brandon is a “small, quiet place,” he said. Potential international students thinking about coming to Assiniboine should know that “this is a really good place to study.”