BUILDING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 233, 29 June 1944, Page 3

BUILDING INDUSTRY

Apprenticeship Question The labour problem facing the building industry in New Zealand, and how the present apprenticeship laws affect it, were the subject of evidence given b.v Mr. W . E. Jones, president of the Hutt valley Master Builders' Association, before the Apprenticeship Commission yesterday. "The building industry in the Dominion, as is generally known, is in a very serious position so far as the shortage of trained personnel is concerned.” he said. lhe position had been aggravated by reason of a very heavy building programme, which had been partly stimulated b.v war conditions, but which was now linked up with a far more comprehensive plan for the construction of State houses and other buildings. The gravity of the situation could not be too heavily stressed. The establishment of trade training schools was an expedient onl.v ami could tint take the place of a "launed policy of apprenticeship training. His association was bf the opinion that the wages scale as it exists at. the present time for apprentices should bo replaced by rates designed to give apprentices, n measure of remuneration comparable with those ruling in- the other skilled trades and that they should be in proper relationship to tho-rafes paid in unskilled occupations. The scale should be designed so that those boys- who approached the end of their apprenticeship period should be securing a rate of wages not greatly in disparity with the wages which they would receive when engager! as journeymen, It was also desirable to retain the present five-year training period to ensure the proper and efficient development of skilled journeymen. In the past some builders had been disinclined to absorb their maximum Quota of apprentices because they did not wish to he placed in n position in which they could not economically employ them This, however, was a legacy of the 19291933 period, and would not bo a material factor in the future.