TRAINING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 170, 12 April 1919, Page 7

TRAINING SOLDIERS

REPATRIATION DEPARTMENT'S SCHEME

SPECIAL CLASSES ARRANGED. Aii important extension of the schema for the training of soldior§ in civilian occupations litis been arranged by tho Repatriation Department. Considerablo diihoulty lias been experienced: by tho. Department in arranging Buitablo coursea' of instruction for tho men at tho techni-.; cal schools, and consequently it has been decided to establish 6peoial classes,. Suit-' ablepromises have already been secured. - in Wellington, and instructors are being engaged through tho Education Depart-, ■ mont. Tho classes will provide intensive instruction of tho kind required by the returned soldiers, and tho will be ablo to givo individual instruction to -the men.

The Department up to tho present) timo has put Approximately 335 men into private workshops and factories, and --haft provided 280 men with courses of instruc{ion in the technical schools. Thcso mcni got allowances from tho DepartmonH while they are studying, and Iha train* ins has so far given good Tesults, Thq difficulty in regard .to tlio technical schools has been that tho eoldlcis had to mix with ordinary students, mostly youths, and could not easily bo provided with sufficiently rapid instruotion, Tha number of hours devoted to instruction in each week was not largo enough and! the instruction was not individual. Tha directors of tho technical schools havo done their best, but they liavo not had tho means at their disposal to make an unqualified' success of tho training of retiwned soldiers.

The Department is starting, itg own technical classes for the vocational training of discharged soldiers at once ia Auokland, Wellington, and Dunedin. It is leasing buildings whore necessary, on* gaging instructors and providing equips ment. Classes will bo provided in any; technical branch for which '.hero is a demand. The demand' at present id principally for instruction in commercial work, engineering, woal-claflangi and woodwork. The instruction is to bo rivent a " thoroughly practical form, Tho Wok lington motor engineering class, for ® ample, has been provided with a coupla of old motor-cars, in addition to plant for repairing and refitting. Tho men will bo given workshop training. Tho commercial clases will ba earned to the stage ofi accountancy if required.. The Depart" ment is initiating arrangements for the opening of classes in Chri6tchurch anil Invercargill. "Tho idea of tho new classes." said ai' representative of tho Deportment yester* day, "is to give the returned uieu a short period, say,- four tosix months, o£ intensive training in their chosen occupation, and then draft them to workn shops and factories, whero thoy will aa« quire tho remainder'.of ttio practical knowledgo thoy need in order to ensura success. Tho men will save time by. this moans, since thoy will enter tho workshops with a sound grounding, sud will not havo to pick up elementary knowlcdgfi whilo in private employ* ment. Tliey Vill Jkj useful workers before thoy begin to earn wages. . The ex perienco of tho Department, does not suggest that the number of returned men. requiring training in new occupations will be very large. Possibly it will not exceed 2000 altogether.. The great majority of the fit-men-prefer to resume their old occupations/ ■ "Wo will provide training for tho returned men in any subject, if there 19 a sufficient number to form a class, an<J if the prospects of protablo employment in the selected lino aro reasonably good. Obviously it would, serve no good., pur* pose to train men for work ' that the? cannot reasonably expect to obtain in this country'. We havo to consider induw trial prospects. Tho danger of training too many men for a particular occupation probably will not arise unless tha total number of trainees becomes larger than tho Department expects. Wo may undertake tho training of. men in the different branches of farming. Already we havo almost completed arrangements, through tho Agricultural Department, to establish a special training farm for men recovering from tubercular disease. The Repatriation Department will pay sustenance allowances to discharged soldiers while they are attending the special training classes. . These allowances aro inclusive of pension, and the scalo is framed to secure to tho unmarried soldier a weekly income of .62 - 10s., and to tho married soldier a weekly incomo of iC3. with an additional allowance tor each child.' When tho soldier enters a factory or workshop to complete his practical training, tho. Department, if nece«saTV,' will make up his wages to a week or tho minimum wage in the inilustrv. Tho pension of tho soldier his w'ifo is not taken into account in fixin" this allowance, but half of tho sum provided by tho Department is withheld until tho mail has completed tho course oE training. The accrued money is thon paid ovor in a luiup sum. ... Tho men attending tho special classes aro to be given intensivo instruction for five or six hours a day, and they will bo required to attend regularly in order to qualify for tho sustenance grant. Instruction at tho technical 'schools will continue to 1)0 available for return uischarged soldiers who wish to receive it. Some of the men, wishing to improve their knowledge and their earning capticity, aro attoiiding technical schools in tho evening after their day's work. The range of subjects covered by the training offered by tho Repatriation Department is wider than many peoplo realise. Tho Department has stated its readiness to provide training for carpenJ tors, furniture makers, cabinetmakers, other woodworkers, saddlers, trunk makers, shoemakers, engineers (in various branches), motor mechanics, metal and wire workers, electricians, tailors, drapers, bookbinders, nook-keepers, ofiico workers, wool-elassers, and other workers^