Big Increase in N.Z. Apprentices

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1948, Page 7

Big Increase in N.Z. Apprentices

[Special to “Argus”]. WELLINGTON. Jan 29. Last year nearly one boy in every three leaving school became an apprentice -and last September there were 13,000 apprentices in New Zealand. Carpentry is the most popular trade and in Wellington last September there were 929 lads at this trade One hundred and twenty of them had become apprentices in the six months between March and September. 1947. In a recent interview, the Dominion Apprenticeship Commissioner, Mr H. McQueen, said that it. was estimated that if the Government’s goal of 12,000 new houses a year was to be reached, New Zealand needed 1000 new carpenters a year. Of these 500 to 600 were provided by boy apprentices. ' Engineering is the next most popular choice. At the other end of the scale of popularity, it was learnt yesterday, were the so-called “black trades” — moulding, boilermaking and blacksmithing. Though these trades are the foundation of basic industries and offer almost a guarantee of permanent employment to boys taking them up they had a combined total of 41 apprentices in Wellington last September.