MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax-AVN) - On Thursday, a special graduation ceremony will be held in Rostov-on-Don at which the British Defense Attache in the Russian Federation, Air Commodore Wilson Metcalfe, will officiate.
Under a program run jointly by the British and Russian Defense Ministries, 284 officers who are retiring from Russia's Armed Forces and who have studied on a three-month intensive retraining courses sponsored by the United Kingdom will receive their diplomas. The ceremony will be presided over by the British Defense Attache in Russia.
November 30 to December 20 2002, nearly 1000 retiring Russian officers who are at present studying on retraining courses financed by the British Ministry of Defense will receive their diplomas in retraining centers in towns across Russia. The officers have been trained in market economy and computer-based disciplines on courses that last 31/2-4 months.
This is part of a British project initiated in October 1995 aimed at helping Russia prepare its retiring servicemen for civilian life. The training has been delivered in higher educational establishments which have agreements with the British Ministry of Defense to conduct this training at the latter's expense in seven regions - Moscow, St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Vladivostok, and Yekaterinburg. Britain also funds intensive English language courses for officers at the English Language Schools of the British Council in Moscow and St Petersburg.
The main aim of the retraining courses is to help officers find employment. Courses are chosen in each town bearing in mind local skills shortages. The retraining centers are required to report on the success that officers have in finding civilian employment. Surveys across the country have shown that over 70% of those retrained are in work within four months of completing their course.
Since September 2000 the project has expanded its scope by bringing in officers from regions where there is no such provision. Such officers are accommodated free of charge in St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don and Vladivostok.
The project is intended to give tangible support to servicemen and their families as they make the difficult transition from service to civilian life at a time of major reform in Russia's Armed Forces. The project, which has now run for nearly six years has been extended to 2003. The United Kingdom has now invested GBP9.6m (USD14.3m) in retraining 16000 Russian officers.