BUILDING INDUSTRY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 66, 23 December 1946, Page 3

BUILDING INDUSTRY

TRADESMEN SUPPLY POSITION

EFFECT OF REHABILITATION SCHEME

Statistics had • proved that had it | not been for rehabilitation training I centres the supply position of trainees for the building industry would have been hopeless, said Mr S. W. Gaspar, at the quarterly meeting of the National Rehabilitation Council held in Wellington. There was, he said, an estimated shortage of 7840 carpenters in the industry, while normal replacements necessai-y amounted to 1204 apprentices a year. As it was, only 300 apprentices a year were coming forward, which was only 25 per cent, of normal requirements. In the plastering trade there was an annual requirement of 125 apprentices whereas only 22 came forward a year. For bricklaying only seven apprentices a year were coming forward instead of the 55 ordinarily needed. Ex-sei’vice trainees at present be-

ing taught at centres numbered 1702 for carpentry, 105 for bricklaying, 99 for plastering, 195 for painting and 1 for joinery, a total of 2113. The standard of work being done was high, and contractors to whom trainees had gone after completing their training period was very satisfied.

Mr T. R. Lees (Palmerston North) asked whether consideration might be given to extending the “B” Class (subsidised) training scheme to those places where there were “A” Class centres. He agreed that the work being done by trainees was excellent, but he also thought it was very slow. If more men could be brought in under the “B” Class scheme it would have a material effect on the labour position and would ultimately speed up housing construction. Materials Limiting Factor Pointing out that the limiting factor was the supply of materials, the Director of Rehabilitation said that although there would be no administrative difficulty in setting up double the number of training centres it would mean doubling the amount of building materials. That would in turn reflect on the amount which could be made available to private builders, many of whom were employing ex-servicemen under the “B” scheme. Thus any endeavour to increase substantially the number of men trained, either by the “A” scheme or the “B” scheme, might lead to difficulty in keeping them fully employed. He was sure the fullest use was being made of all available material. The Board was in constant touch with the Housing and Forestry Departments to ensure that trainees were getting as much available materials as possible, said Mr Gaspar. Materials for bricklaying and plastering were in much the same supply position as was timber for carpentry. The Board had also to keep the proportions of tradesmen in the industry as correct as possible. The training centre in Palmerston North could, for one, easily be doubled in size if materials were available to keep that number of trainees going. When the materials were available, then that would, be done. There was no question, he thought, as to the “A” scheme being better. He instanced the case of a builder who had sent his son to one of the rehabilitation training centres. On being asked the reason, the trainee had replied that he considered that he could obtain better

training, particularly in theoretical work, at the centre than under his father.

As regards slowness in training, he considered that throughness was the first and main objective. There was no attempt in the first twelve months to drive a man, although in the extension period trainees were taught to work with speed and efficiency. He had recently visited all the training centres and had been assured by the trainees themselves of their satisfaction with their training, as well as with all other aspects of their rehabilitation. Mr A. H. O’Keefe said he also had visited all the training centres and he was satisfied with the “A” scheme from the training point of view. Valuable time was not wasted, but invested, in the interests of the ex-servicemen themselves. Slow but sure methods in training were in the interests of all ex-service-men and would pay dividends in better houses being built.