THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 65, 20 December 1946, Page 5

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

SPECIAL REHABILITATION PROVISIONS

OUTLINE BY MR O’KEEFE The scheme operating in the Public Service -for the benefit of exservicemen was outlined at the quarterly meeting of the Rehabilitation Council by Mr A. H. O’Keefe, a member of the Public Service Commission. Comprehensive and many-sided, the scheme included

the reception of ex-servicemen and a continuous review of their welfare. Educational facilities were provided, while there was special emphasis on training designed to make good the experience and knowledge lost during absence with the forces. This was an important part of the staff training policy, which embodied many new features of positive value.

Administering policy was a special rehabilitation and staff training section established in the office of the Commission. In addition every department had a personnel officer who was primarily responsible for the rehabilitation i..f ex-servicemen and for staff training within his department., and where necessary the personnel officer had also representatives in the districts.

The duties of personnel'" officers were, where warrantable, full time. The officers themselves were men who had previously responsible positions in the service. They had first to prepare detailed staff training schemes covering all branches of their department and these schemes were in turn submitted for approval by the Commission. In some cases training manuals had been prepared, covering such subjects as The Machinery of Government, The /Use of English in Correspondence and Government Accounting. Lectures, staff meetings and planned rotation of duties were other methods used to assist men to catch up with the work of their departments. Some departments, such as the Rehabilitation Department, the State Forest Service, the Transport, Agriculture and Health Departments, had successfully run short courses for members of their staffs drawn from district offices.

Illustrating the complexity of the task, Mr O’Keefe said there were approximately 800 different occupational groups in the Public Service, excluding such departments as the Post and Telegraph and Railways Departments which were not under the Commission’s control. University Courses The Commission was running,' in conjunction with Victoria University College, a short course for exservicemen drawn from the various departments, its aim being to tell ex-servicemen of the social, economic and political changes in New Zealand over recent years and to stimulate their interest in public administration. Eleven such courses had already been held, each course being attended by about 40 men, half of whom were from outside Wellington. A long list of ex-service-men were waiting their turn to take the course which had proved popular and valuable.

Specal teaching facilities were provided for ex-servicemen on the temporary staff, to allow them to qualify for appointment to the permanent staff. Classes had been held at Auckland and Wellington, mainly within official hours. Time off for study, averaging five hours a week, was being allowed those taking a degree or seeking some professional qualification. In selecting officers to take the Public Administration course at Victoria University College, it was proposed to give preference to ex-servicemen.

Other provisions referred to by Mr O’Keefe included the Commission’s endeavour to meet all requests from ex-servicemen for transfers either to other districts or other departments, an ex-serviceman’s right of appeal against anyone who had been promoted during his absence, and his entitlement to make representations regarding grievances he might have, even to the extent of arranging for an interview with a member of the Commission staff.