On March 19 Khmelnytsky saw the first graduation ceremony at the Ukrainian-British Retraining and Resettlement Center for Retired Officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
How to live on is a sore question for recently retired career military men. Great Britain’s military attach О to Ukraine, Captain Rob Drewett of Her Majesty’s Navy, said at the ceremony that a special program was tailored to help these people, implemented jointly by the British and Ukrainian Ministries of Defense and the National Coordinating Center for the Transition of Military Personnel.
Thirty-one officers were retrained in market relations and computer sciences at the 14-weeks courses sponsored by Great Britain. This is the first stage of a British project designed to assist Ukraine in preparing the retired military for civilian life.
Sir Rob Drewett presented the officers their diplomas and expressed his hope that the graduates will find their places on the job market. Speaking of the future, he mentioned that the project is intended for more than one year and will embrace other of Ukraine’s regions. Ranking officials from Kyiv, Lviv, and Khmelnytsky sincerely welcomed British taxpayers’ steps to help meet the needs of Ukrainians, who are facing an acute social problem on the path to reform of their Armed Forces.
A vacancy fair was held immediately on the spot, where “buyers” and “sellers” so far only got acquainted. The goal is to make it possible for at least 70% of the retrained officers to find jobs within four months after graduating from the courses. The Day’s correspondent posed a question to the graduates on what they think about the retraining and how they plan to use the knowledge acquired at the courses.
Serhiy YEVHRAFOV, reserve Major, 37:
“I left the army in February 2002. I am married and have two children (seventh and ninth grades). I tried to find some job, but it was all in vain. There is a demand for builders, metalworkers, and plumbers on the jobs market. I was completely desperate when suddenly I received an invitation to these courses from the military registration and enlistment office. I accepted it with optimism. I studied computer sciences six hours a day six days a week. Here we have university level training. Our teachers were trained in Great Britain.
“I am not sure that I could find a job in my new profession here in provincial Khmelnytsky. But my family is planning to move to Kyiv. There I’ll find someplace where I could use my new knowledge that capital always needs. Seven of my acquaintances who have already retired or will retire soon expressed their wish to enlist in these courses.”
Heorhy BERDNYK, reserve Lt. Col., 39:
“After doing my service in the Missile Forces, I spent two years searching fruitlessly for my place in civilian life. This is really hard: in the morning the children go to school and their father who is still young and strong stays at home. It is impossible to support a family on this pension.
“I studied business management in the courses. I have obtained basic knowledge, which I hope to apply in practice. In theory, I could even open a business of my own. Unfortunately, in practice, I don’t have money for this. So I’m here at the jobs fair, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
