WORK FOR BOYS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 45, 17 November 1926, Page 12

WORK FOR BOYS

LABOUR DEPARTMENT’S ENDEAVOUR POOR RESPONSE FROM EMPLOYERS DRIFT TO BLIND ALLEY OCCUPATIONS The efforts of the Labour Department to prevent boys drifting into blind-alley occupations on leaving school, and the poor response that had been received from employers throughout the Dominion, were stressed l-y the Secretary of Labour and Registrar of Apprentices (Mr. I'. W. Rowley) in an address at the mid-week gathering of the Wellington Rotary Club yemeruay. , Mr. Rowley stated that the question of getting boys into suitable employment on leaving school was of vital importance, not only to the lads themselves, but to the industries of the Dominion. The choice of a wrong or uncongeniaFoccupation often spoiled what otherwise would have been a happy and prosperous life. The directions which boys went when seeking employment might be divided into three classes, namely, commercial and professional occupations; primary and secondaryindustries, such as the skilled trades; and unskilled or blind-alley occupations There was plenty of encouragement and assistance given to boys to take up the professional and commercial occupations. What was required, however, was to encourage a fair proportion into the second group so that they may become qualified in the important indn»tries of the Dominion. Expectations Not Realised. “In the past,” said Mr. Rowley, “it has been stated that there was a serious dearth of skilled labour in New Zealand for the skilled manufacturing trades, and the Apprentices Act was designed, among other things, to enable the Department to get into touch with boys as they leave school and give them advice, particularly in the direction of entering the primary and secondary industries'. The Department has for the past three years obtained reports from headteachers of the primary schools of the principal towns of the Dominion, and then communicated with the boys and their parents, inviting applications to the Department for advice and assistance. The Department’s officers have made it known to the employers in the various mamifauturing industries by means of advertisements and circulars, that they had bovs applying to them and inviting employers to approach the Department for the bovs thev might require.”

“Contrary to expectations, he continued, the response from employers throughout the Dominion had been verv small, and although the Department had repeated the endeavour each year verv little improvement had been brought about. For example, in Wellington City in 1921, only five employers approached the Department, and in 1026, 29 applied, but even then only six vacancies were filled As a result there had been keen disappointment to the bovs and their parents. Tn looking for the reason for the failure or indifference of employers, he . nientioned 'that some outside organisations had also made attempts to get into touch with schoolboys -and to place them in suitable employment, and that some of them had not met with a great measure of success. In Christchurch the Gordon Hall Trust had made a point of visiting schools at Christchurch for several years past, and had endeavoured to place bovs. The experience of the trust was that it. was alwavs receiving names of bovs desirous of entering trades, but for whom there were no openings. The bovs drifted into the first vacancies that thev m’cht find, and the«e were often in the blindalley unskilled occupations. Employers and Apprentices. “No doubt,” continued Mr. Rowley, "mallv employers will say that the reason for their failure to take on bovs is that the restrictions upon the employment of apprentices are too harassing and irksome, especially tn regard to the proportion of apprentices to journeymen. It is difficult to understand ’how the proportion of apprentices, as fixed by. the Arbitration Court, can have this effect, because ‘he figures gathered by the Department throughout New Zealand go to show that in practically every skilled trade, where the proportion of apprentices is fixed, employers as a whole do not employ anything like the number that the proportion allows. Perhaps employers will sav that, apart from the question of proportion, apprentices are too much trouble; they are, perhaps, not sufficiently amenable to discipline, and possibly thev considered apprentices not worth the wages they are required to pav, and that altogether thev could not be bothered with them.” There was doubt that these and other fairly good reasons made employers not anxious to employ as many ap-

prentices as they were entitled to take, but the fact remained that , the present position would not be to the benefit' of the country or of the industries themselves. The question, therefore, appeared to be one for the public interest. The speaker urged the Rotary Club,’especially those members who were employers in manufacturing industries, to consider seriously the question in its broader aspect, and come forward to give their advice and assistance. Other institutions,-such as the Y.M.C.A. and Boys’ Institute, -were acting in conjunction with the Department.

At the suggestion of the secretary (Mr. H. Amos) and the chairman (Mr, J. R. Simpson) it was decided to refer ‘lie matter to the boys’ committees of Rotary Clubs throughout th« Dominica.