Renovated Votech Center increases job training opportunities in Babil Province (Babil)
By Alicia Embrey
Gulf Region South
Babil Province, Iraq— Community leaders, media and coalition representatives gathered for a grand opening to showcase the newly renovated $5.4 million Iskandariyah Vocational Technology Center April 22. Dr. Reyad Hassan, executive general manager at the Iraqi Ministry of Labor, officiated the grand opening with the assistance of newly-elected Babil provincial leaders.
The Iskandariyah Votech and Industrial Complex, located 25 miles south of Baghdad, was once the industrial jewel of north Babil Province boasting of such facilities as the State Company for Automotive Industries (SCAI), the State Company for Mechanical Industries (SCMI) and Hateen munitions. During April 2003 all these facilities were ransacked and torched by looters, leaving behind burned out shells of what had been home to 25,000 employees.
To help revitalize that area, Iraqi officials, the Provincial Reconstruction Team and U.S. Forces combined efforts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the Votech’s upgrade utilizing Iraqi contractors. The three-phase project included renovating seven dorms, a classroom building, an auditorium and mechanical shop. The Iraqi crew, consisting of 200 local workers, finished the project three months ahead of schedule. Of those workers, 50 were recent graduates of the center.
When the Votech renovations began in 2007, the school was offering a limited curriculum for an enrollment of 30 students. This year the center is expected to train and house 4,000 students in a variety of occupational specialties including hair dressing, sewing, administration, clerical, computer maintenance, masonry, electrical, carpentry, welding, computers, and auto mechanics.
“The renovation project became a reality because of the partnership between city and provincial government leaders, Coalition Forces, the Babil PRT, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Iraqi construction crews, along with unwavering support from the local community,” said Col. Jack Drolet, district commander of USACE’s Gulf Region South district, at the April 22 grand opening. “The young men and women who come to this Vocational Center will learn skills, laying a foundation for future prosperity. We’re honored to be part of this effort.”
Many look to the Votech renovation as the first step to improving the local economy. According to Pradeep Patnaik, Babil PRT’s senior economic advisor, the Iskandariyah Votech “is critical in our efforts to attract foreign investment to Babil province.” Because the center is able to provide needed training, more than five international firms are considering manufacturing contracts with SCAI and SCMI industries, he continued.
In 2008 SCMI assembled and sold 200 tractors and assembled 250 more. “All tractors were pre-sold with a plan of assembling and selling another 1,000 tractors this year,” Patnaik said.
Currently SCAI is building prefabricated housing units, oil refineries, buses, construction equipment, greenhouses, and much more. “We are working with local and international businesses so that there will be enough work for everyone.”