TRAIN TO WORK PROPOSAL

UNCLAS KIRKUK 000031

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR AID, NCT, IRMO, ECON AND POL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: TRAIN TO WORK PROPOSAL



1. This is a SET Tikrit cable.

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SUMMARY
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2. In Salah Ad Din Province, a group of men is trying to tackle
part of the employment problem. They have devised a program
very similar to the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps, and hope
to present it to the PRDC this month. Funding is their current
issue, and we are awaiting their plan to solve that issue.

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PROPOSAL
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3. A conversation about job training between our IRMO rep, SET
Officer and a local Iraqi resulted in an Iraqi proposal to form
a group very similar to President Roosevelt's Civilian
Conservation Corps. The program is proposed by five men from
Salah Ad Din and Ninawa. They developed a plan to cover a one
year training program for 100 men, aged 18-27. The program will
instill discipline, life skills, and job skills in these 100
men, preparing them to take their places in the Iraqi job
market. They want the proposal to be approved by the Salah Ad
Din Provincial Council, to add legitimacy to the program.


4. The men behind the proposal cite the lack of jobs in this
area as the main cause of security problems. They also cite
unemployment as a reason why young men fail to gain practical
work experience: including timeliness, motivation, reliability
and job savvy. Their proposal is being finalized now.


5. The plan envisions 10 trainers, possibly unemployed former
Iraqi Army personnel, being given further leadership training,
and each leading a squad of 10 recruits. These recruits will be
unemployed or underemployed men of various backgrounds. The
recruits will wear uniforms, and go through a basic training
schedule for a short period. Physical and mental attention will
be emphasized in this phase. The next phase will involve job
training in preparation for doing projects for various villages
near the training area. The project emphasis will be to improve
the quality of life of the villagers, and showing provincial
government support of their village.


6. This group sees the program as forming at the provincial
level, drawing recruits from all parts of the province of Salah
Ad Din. After the initial group graduates, the proposal calls
for expansion to other provinces, and perhaps to other training
sites in Salah Ad Din. Also, from this group of recruits will
come follow-on staff members.

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LOGISTICS
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7. Recruits will be provided with uniforms, meals, and other
necessities. Food will be prepared on-site, and recruits will
help with the food preparation function on a rotating basis.
Assigned vehicles will transport the recruits to near-by
villages for their workday, and the recruits will each draw a
small stipend for their work.

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COMMENT
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8. This group of Iraqi men is pushing very hard to finalize
this proposal. Their next hurdle will be finding a donor to
fund the initiative. They are revising the budget, and are
expecting to have it complete before mid-February. This project
has the potential to gather in disenfranchised young men, give
them a job for a year, and prepare them to become employable in
the future. SET has informed USAID about the project, who will
consider in due course whether it fits with USG goals.

DEAN