TRAINING OF BOYS

Chronicle (Levin), 27 July 1946, Page 3

TRAINING OF BOYS

Press Association

apprentices bill amended

general support given

By Telegraph—

WELLI.XGTOX, Jul.v 20. Disrussion of ihe Apprentices Amendliient r.ill, 1940, wliicli had i ii the muin llic eiilire support of lioth sides, was cojit imieil in the Hnu.se of Kepreseutatives. The Hi 11 was put through all stages and passed before- the Ilouse adjounied. Tlie Minister for I.aliour (Mr, .1. O'Jh'ient, when Hinviug the coiinuittal of the Hill. said that its pnrpo.se was to give etl'eet to recoinniemlat ions made in 1 J > 1 4 l>y the Commission of Inquirv which was set up to investigatc apptenticeship and related matters. The hill provided for ihe appointineat of a eoniinissioner of apprentieeship, wlni, tlie coniniittee reeoinniended, shonld devote his wliole tinie to apprentieeship matters, witli a view to taking ±lie iuitiiltive in promuting appnmtice ships in tlie skiJled trades. It also provided for the appointment of distriet eonunissioneis of appreutieoship, who tvotild also devoto their w liole time lo aiiprentieeship matters. Tlie Hill. in addition, provided for tlie eslaldish nient, as wcll us loeal couiiiiit tees, >f .\ew Zealand eoniniit t ees in tlie varions trades and for makino the t'.inrl of Aew Zealand stpprenlieesliip or.lers rov er tlie whole of Xow Zealand. .Mr. O'Hrien said tlie ronimission had brnught down liie leport wlii-h Ihe present Hill followed alniost to Ihe !•:' - ter. There had heen w ide tlnet uat ions in the munlier of apprentires in Xirv Zealand, tuni he eonsidered that ali ap jnenliees shonld liave tlie liest teehni eal and prnctical training pussil.de, hui, if timi iraiuing uere neglected thcv would he an injury donc lo (he various trades. The nnnilier of apprentires in Xew Zealand in 1928 was l",227. v lich lo clined to 3329 in 1935. Siil>s ••.m-ut years showed an iniprovenieut, tlie ten tlionsand tnark boing reaclud in 1910. The nniiilier dwindled in tiie lirs' tMur years of ihe war, hui did not drop b»- "] 1 1 v\' Siood niid rose iu 1915 Jo 12,:»r,'9, riaching the peak in tlie fulluwiu,r ytair of 13,35(1. Tlie country was no.v ;a a i'air wav lo have a sullicieat u imlter of tecluiieians to earry ini iiuliKtry, hui there was ruom for more. The p, et ent 1 » i 1 1 , which would eome into forre 011 4 ifanunry 1, 1947, was, said -Mr. «_) 'l5rien. tlie hest atlempt yet made to dcal with tlie apprentieeship ]>rohleni.t , Mr. \V. J. Polson (.Stratford) agreed that the rejiort of the Apprentieeship Coinmissiou was ti valualde cotitribution to the very im]»ortanl question of iraining in skilled trades. J 1 e added that the number of appreutiees was 011 the increase and we wero Teaching the stage when we would have an adequale number who we should sec tvere properlv equipped to earry 011 the country 's iudustries. Tlie employers generally would weleouie the Hill. 1 11 the past bottleueeks had arisen in tlie Iniilding and allied trades beeauso of the fuilure to train suilicient apprentices. Mr. Polson. said that he know that in England teehnieal education, was being provided in many industries for apprentices in the employers ; time and at tlieir expense. A similar provision in Xew Zealand would liave to be carefully safeguarded to cnsure it was not ridden to death, Carried too far, sueli provisiou niight ehoke the flow of apprentices by making things too ditiicu.lt for employers to plav their part. rMr. \V. A. Sheat (Patea1), said that if tlie full eifect were to be given to tlre Hill very substaotial pulilie expendilure would be requiml for tlie pro-

1 Vision of teehnieal schools with additional accommodation and equipmen.. lie hoi»ed the administrat 1011 of tliis legislalion would be as reasoiiable as 1 possible, when it eneouutered dillieuli . tes in ihe sinali eeutres, whare tlie em ployers who were willing to train addilional ajiprentiees eeuld not do so be.eause of quota restrietions. -Mr. K. -\U-Iveen ( Wellington Soulli/', said tliat the apprentieeshop quota had 1 been a matter of serious eontcntion iu ; the past, and he hoped the problem would now be eliminated. j -Mr. W. .Sullivan (Bay of Plenty) said if the elause eoneerniag daylight train ing for apprentices in Teehnieal Hehools was made eompulsory, it niight be to i titi.' disadvantage of both employer and euiployee. The best plaee to* train u hoy was in a workshop. in manv Teeli nieal Schools the machinery was obsulete and the instruetors not as up to date 111 xnethods as a factory foreman. Seliools were also eramped for spaee. If boys were to be takou away from workshops to spend sonie of their time in Teehnicttl" Schools, tlieir trainingy would be affeeted. ! .Mr. F. Jlaekett (Grey Lynn) said tlie Hil] was laying down a plan for the future. lie eonsidered daylight training would l»e popular with both employer and employee. There was m» iloubt that Teehnieal Seliools A\ouhl liave to be linproved. The country, in the loitg ruu, would receive a great benelil from the Act. -Mr. .M. 11. Orain (-Manawatu) suggested that three reeommendat ions made by the (.'ommission should be included . in tlie Hill, which was a good oue, to niake it better still. Tliose recouinieu- j datious conceraed the meeting of all 1 the interested parties at tlie signing of iudentures, a system lo express the; term of apprentieeship by workiug hours ratlier t hau caiemlar yesirs, aud I tlie cousidcration of Duininion appren ! ticeship orders in tlie ligdit of present . industrial praeliee. j Hua. P. .Joties said that iu view of tlie sjiccialisation tluit had takcn place iu industry, apprentices should oc tauglit to step into unother apjirentice 's ; job. Although many apprentices weiit ; to tlie war they received training in the' Army and Air Forcc workshops aml the' ; knowledge gaiued would-serve tliein fon a long time. Ite believed the Bill would . lu somelliing for tlie young nien aud j women of tlie country. Xiglit was not j , al ways tlie best time for apprentices to study at Teehnieal Schools, particularly j after the apprentices had had a hani j day's work in a t'actorv or workshoji. -Mr. li. -M. Algie (Remuera) said il was a guod Bil! and he could not iniag- ! ine anyone wli'o had read it tliinkiug 1 otlierwise. 1 There were soine further eoutribu-| tions before Mr. O'Brien replied saying that the Bili had had an exeeptionaiiv grood rau. The Bill was read a third time and put through the remaining stages and passed.