VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 13

VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

CLASSES NOW DIMINISHING. Tho total number of men now on the class rolls of the education and vocational training branch of t)he. Defence' Department at the end of March last was 1251; while. the number of men attending the classes was 624—North Island 540, South' Island 284. The percentage of in-patients receiving instruction at' hospitals where classes are maintained was—North Island 84 per cent., Soutih Island 89.3 per cent. Tho patients' recreation fund benefited by tho'work of the men to the extent of £231 14s 6d during March, that amount being the total profit oh the articles sold. The number of hours spent on class work totalled 37,285. Splints sold to civilians realised £196 9s 3d.

During tho month, the reorganisation of tiho branch was completed. The surgical appliances workshops at Auckland and Dunedin were' transferred to the control of the Assistant-Directors of Medical Services, and the district vocation Offices at Auckland and Dunediii have *een closed. A workshop is being provided by th© Red Cross Society at AVoodside, Dunedin, tor occupational work. A class in boot-re pairing has been started at the Cashmere Sanatorium. At H.-mmer tfhe carpentry instructor and his class devote each, evening to hospital maintenance work. - At the March examination four members of the Trentham engineering class qualified for service, one first-class and one second-class stationary _ engineers' certificates, one first-class oii-engineer's certificate, and a third-class marine engineer's certificate- beiug obtained. Seagrass furniture-making lias been started at the Pukeroa. Sanatorium.