Workforce Integration in Conflict Areas

The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Islamabad announces an open competition to implement a program to build sustainable pathways to employment in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  This project directly protects U.S. commercial interests in Pakistan, counters terrorist recruitment, and strengthens the U.S.-Pakistan partnership.  Past research indicates that the regions of Pakistan with the highest poverty rates correlate closely with the regions with the highest number of terrorist incidents, the weakest public school systems, and the highest concentration of madrassahs per capita.  These same regions are also home to the largest concentration of critical mineral deposits where American mining companies are trying to invest.  By developing employment skills for public school and madrassah graduates aligned with the needs of U.S. industry, this project builds a trained workforce for U.S. companies operating in the region, creates viable economic alternatives to financial incentives offered by terrorist groups, and positions the United States as a preferred partner in the mining and minerals sector. Successful proposals will assess graduate skill gaps and employer needs, develop and deliver employment training along with local vocational-technical institutions, facilitate placement of graduates into internships and jobs, and advocate with the provincial and national government to replicate and scale successful courses.