ORT is one of the largest non-governmental education and training organisations in the world, with past and present activities in over 100 countries. A non-profit, non-political organisation, ORT’s objective is to meet the educational and vocational requirements of diverse students throughout the world. During the year 2004, ORT educated or trained almost 300,000 students in its network of programmes, training centres and schools.World ORT is responsible for coordinating the international activities of its associate bodies, the National ORT Organisations that span five continents.
World ORT is incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland, with main administrative offices in London.
ORT was founded in St Petersburg in Tsarist Russia in 1880 to provide employable skills for impoverished people in Russia. The letters O-R-T form the Russian interpret as "Obschestvo Remeslenovo i Zemledelcheskovo Trouda", meaning Organization for the Distribution of Artisanal and Agricultural Skills.