TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY BRITAIN'S MINISTER OF LABOUR SATISFIED WITH STEADY FLOW OF QUALIFIED YOUNG PEOPLE

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1948, Page 4

TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY B RITAIN'S MINISTER OF LABOUR SATISFIED WITH STEADY FLOW OF QUALIFIED YOUNG PEOPLE

FURTHER TEACHING DEVELOPMENTS

[From Herbert Tracey, of Britain’s Trades Union Congress]. LONDON, September 23. A steady inflow of qualified young people is being secured for industry and trade in Britain under Government training schemes. One scheme for the training of young ex-Service men and women in business administration has been in operation since early in 1946. It was started by the Ministry of Labour and National Service on a' plan drawn up by a committee appointed by Ernest Bevin, when he was Minister of Labour. It begun to help the resettlement of men and women released from the Forces who could reasonably have expected to reach executive positions in business, but for the interruption of their career by war service. The Ministry fairly claims that this business training scheme has served its purpose; and as an experiment in management training it laid sure foundations for further development.

Over 6,500 young people have passed through business training courses under this scheme. They received their training during 1946 and 1947, and at the end of February, 1948, all but 68 of them were either working or continuing their training in courses provided by employers. Dtals of the scheme (In which training in technical and commercial colleges takes an important part) were decided by representatives of the War Office, the Admiralty, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Education, the Board of Trade, and the Ministry of j Labour. The Service departments made the scheme known to all ranks of the forces; local businessmen and representatives of Chambers of Commerce formed business training committees to supervise the scheme in their areas. They saw that the standard of selection of these candidates, was maintained, that sufficient training facilities were available, that businessmen and others gave parttime instruction to the students, and that, training or employment in industry or commerce was found for ; the students when their training was , finished. These committees were of , great value to the Government in its ( administration of the scheme. , A still more important scheme — j also run by the Ministry of Labour — j is that for training supervisors. Its ] development shows an increasing ap- ■ preciation in industry of the import-, j ance of the foreman as a link be- ( tween management and workers. (

A conference of representatives of management groups and industrial consultants called by the Ministry of Labour met recently to discuss training within industry joint consultative machinery,, works information, and personnel management, and their effect on increasing production in industry. This conference, at which there were 200 delegates, was told a good deal about the Government’s aims and methods of promoting a higher standard of efficiency in management and improving the relations between management and the workers through the extension of joint consultation. The importance of supervisors and personnel managers being trained for their job was also stressed. The scheme of training within industry for supervisors is designed by industry itself for industry. Managements of firms both large and small

The conference also discussed training , with particular reference to an industry’s specific needs. This subject was brought up by Mr Howie Mitchell, who is in charge of the training branch of the Ministry of Labour and was formerly on the staff of Britain’s Institue of Industrial Psychology. A full report of the discussions at the conference, shortly to be published, should make interesting reading for trade unionists.

have started schemes. The Ministry of Labour has helped them find teachers to train the supervisors within a firm and —in the case of large firms —to train a member of the firm who will himself be a teacher under the scheme. (A supervisor, for the purposes of tha scheme, is anyone in an organisation who directs the work of others. There are, naturally enough a large number of such men). Working Relationships The scheme began during World War 11, and about 1,730 firms in a wide variety of industries have adopted it. Altogether since the programme was introduced, some 117,500 supervisors have been trained. Working relationships between supervisors and workers and amonef supervisors themselves are said to be better as a result.

The value of the machinery of joint consultation, which the Government is encouraging in industry was impressed on the delegates at the conference. The fact that the Government wants a rapid development of joint consultative machinery is shown by the appointment of Mr Lloyd Roberts (until recently chief labour officer to Imperial Chemical Industries) who is now responsible in the Ministry of Labour for encouraging the development of joint consultative machinery in factories. Real efforts are being made to secure results. The Ministry has been in consultation with national organisations of 54 of the main industries. In 38 of those industries approached, the establishing of consultative machinery has already been considered. In 23 arrangements for joint consultation are being made, or’existing arrangements further developed.