Industrial Development In N.Z. “Urgent”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29509, 10 May 1961, Page 17

Industrial Development In N.Z. “Urgent”

“The development of manufacturing and processing industry is not only important but vital and urgent when we consider that 95 per cent, of our exports comes from products of grassland industry which are having difficulties in facing competition overseas,” said Mr J K Dob 4 son, president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, when opening an industry course for careers advisers yesterday. Seven vocational guidance officers and 21 teachers from Auckland to Invercargill are attending the three-day course, which has been arranged by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation in conjunction with the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. “Whether we like it or not we have to find other avenues through which to increase our national income if we are to afford our imports. The manufacturing industry is necessary because we cannot live by the earnings of our butter and wool alone.” he said. Consumer Demand Although New Zealand’s population was comparatively small, its demand for consumer goods was comparatively high. The New Zealand market was two-thirds that of Denmark, with a population of 41m. the same as Austria’s, with a population of 9.3 m, and half as much as that of Burma and Formosa combined, with a totalpopulation of 30m, he said. “Even more significant is that our consumer market is one-ninth that of Japan, a world-standard manufacturing country with a population of 91m. “These figures indicate tha' many more industries could be economic here, as there is a market to justify initial in. vestment with a reasonable return and an ideal basis or. which to develop an export balance to our economy in manufactured goods.” said Mr Dobson. "If we are to develop industrially along the lines on which we are already moving, our labour force through natural increase will be insufficient. We must also realise that, even if this were not so, we have not, and cannot, train in sufficient time' the skilled technicians, tradesmen, scientists, and the other very essential skilled personnel without which major development cannot take place. “Action has already beer, taken to increase our immigration to enable these trained people to be obtained, but in addition we must ensure that our educational system is such that it will provide our own young people with the necessary training to fit them to take their places in this wider industrial horizon. “This accelerated increase in our population will no' only provide the killed personnel mentioned, but will also increase our own internal demand for the industries established, and give the essential expansion to production volume necessary to the achievement of minimum production costs, which will assist further still the manufacturing industry’s ability to take more of our export earning load. “This accents the importance of your function as careers advisers and vocational guidance officers, and coupled with our industrial development we must see that the opportunities and essential needs to fill the widening demand in our labour force are assisted by your valuable work in ensuring that you have full knowledge of the demands in. dustry will make. I am sure that these courses will assist you further in the valuable

contribution you can make in our essential nation?) development,” said “.Ir Dobson. “Upsurge” Of Industry The Mayor (Mr G. Manning) officially welcomed thosd attending the course, and said that industry had taken a great upsurge in the last 15 to 20 years, making the service that career .advisers gave to industry and young people very valuable. “The department agrees with the opinion of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association that less talk and more looking and seeing is befet,” said the South Island District Superintendent of Education (Mr T. M. Archer) Mr Archer was referring to the factory visits which have been arranged for members of the course. He commended the association for making the course possible. Mr Dobson read a letter from the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent), who said well-informed careers advisers were the best way of bringing to the notice of school leavers the excellent op-ortunities that existed. Mr Tennent said that school leavers might not be sufficient to meet the demands of industry for some time. “This makes it increasingly important to ensure, as the vocational guidance service is trying to do. that school leavers choose employment for which thev are best fitted To the employers a wellinformed choice can mean a stable labour force; to the leaver it can mean satisfaction and security; and to New Zealand it can mean that the labour force is being used to better advantage,” sai,d Mr Tennent. The Chief Vocational Guidance Officef for New Zealand 'Mr J G. Green) emphasised 'hat his service could not recruit but only advise. He said that he appreciated the association's help in supplementing something that the service provided, as it was to the advantage of advisers that they knew more about all occupations The members of the course will visit 15 leading factories in groups in the afternoons of the three days.