§3732 Postgraduation Recruitment, Education and Training Programs

Summary

The Secretary must set up and run programs to get Indian college or graduate graduates to work in Bureau agriculture or, if the tribe agrees, in tribal agriculture. One program lets the Secretary pay off the employee’s outstanding student loans in return for a period of work. How long the person must work depends on how much loan debt is paid. The Secretary must also run cooperative internships to train Federal and Indian agricultural staff. Inside the Department of the Interior, staff can swap into Bureau or other Interior agency agricultural jobs, and with tribal consent, into tribal programs. Outside agencies may join under interagency agreements, but those interns must be above their sixth year of Federal service. The sending agency keeps paying salary and benefits for Federal employees, the host agency pays salary and benefits for Indian employees, and all interns may get a bonus at the end. The Secretary must keep a Trust Services Division training program that gives orientation on tribal–Federal relations, ongoing technical farm training for Bureau and Indian staff, and business and marketing training for Indian agricultural staff.