§3732 Postgraduation recruitment, education and training programs

Summary

The Secretary must set up programs to hire and train Indian agricultural professionals. One program will hire graduates into Bureau farm programs or, if the tribe agrees, into tribal farm programs. The Secretary will pay off the employee’s outstanding student loans in return for a set period of work. How long they must work depends on how much loan money is paid. The Secretary must also run a cooperative internship program so Federal and Indian agricultural staff can learn from each other. It includes exchanges among Interior agencies and, under interagency agreements, placements from other agencies for workers who are above their sixth year of Federal service. Home agencies keep paying salary and benefits for their Federal employees, host agencies pay for participating Indian employees, and interns may receive a bonus when the internship ends. The Trust Services Division must offer orientation on tribal–Federal relations, ongoing technical training, and business and marketing training for Indian agricultural staff.