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FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq (March 26, 2008) - Roberto
Bran, the Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team's engineer
development-program manager, said engineers are vital to executing
projects.
"None of this will occur if there is no one to plan and design
the infrastructure," Bran said.
Wasit's need for engineers comes with an increase in the
provincial government's budget. While the increase allows the
provincial government to expand the number of new projects, it may
put a strain on the limited number of engineers. The province
currently has close to 1,500 registered engineers. of which 200-300
are women.
To address the potential shortage, the PRT, in coordination with
the Wasit Resident Engineer Office, the Salvadoran Cuscatlan
Battalion 10, the 214th Fires Brigade, and private- and
public-sector Iraqi engineers, developed a program to improve the
quality of current projects and boost the number of qualified
engineers in the province.
The program's aim is strengthening the Engineering College of
Wasit University and bolstering the Wasit Engineers Union.
Brand said the focus is on professional development programs
targeting mid-career professionals and taught by the faculty of the
Engineering College.
Six courses have been taught to date, and 36 more are planned,
Bran said. Topics range from solid-waste management, to hydraulic
structures to structural analysis and design. The courses
accommodate 20 students and are open to Iraqi government and
private-sector engineers.
The PRT is funding four laboratories and classrooms at the Wasit
Engineering College at a cost of about $2.5 million. The
laboratories will accommodate 25 students, while the classrooms
will hold 60 students, Bran said. The new construction will feature
a computer lab, a survey lab, a soil lab and an asphalt lab.
For students, a major concern is unemployment. The students say
it is hard to find jobs because most jobs require experience --
something they don't have.
Toward that end, an internship program is planned for the
engineering college. The program will offer paid and unpaid
opportunities with contractors implementing Commander's Emergency
Response Program and Economic Support Fund construction projects.
Students also will work on Civil Military Cooperation and the Army
Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region South.
Also planned is an exchange program with academic and
professional institutions abroad to establish long-term
relationships between the engineering college and academic
institutions in the United States.
Dr. Mansoor Manas, dean of the engineering college, wants his
students to be able to exchange ideas, receive training and gain
knowledge.
"I want them to be able to communicate with everyone especially
with English," Manas said. "It is important that they always be
encouraged."
Manas said he wants to expand the college library to include
current engineering textbooks, professional development magazines
and an Internet center. "I want it to be easy for them," he
said.
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