FUTURE TRAINING

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1932, Page 3

FUTURE TRAINING

UNEMPLOYED APPRENTICES

CONTINUATION GLASSES

WEILLINGTON, December 23. A suggestion that hoys unable to find, openings ais apprentices should continue training in tecnnical school worn c-f continuation classes is nn.de in the report on juvenile unemployment preemmed to l Cabinet by the investigating committee, composed by Messrs A. E, Auisell and S. G. Smith, M.P.’s.

in dealing with the .possibility of providing employment in the towns, the committee sets out at length the law covering apprenticeship and the history of its administration. Employers, under the severe economic conditions; have found the apprenticeship system an iiici easing difficulty winch lias led to a great diminution

in the numbers employed. “An especially distressing feature of the problem,” states the committee, “is the large number of .apprentices who have uncompleted periods of apprenticeship contrae.s a.i.d who ane now unemployed for. the reasons either that there is no work or training in the shops or factories where they were employed, or their employers, either individuals oi firms, have gone out of business on account of the general trade depression.”

Ik. is pointed out that unless a ram ; ady i,.; found a most serious condition will arise when trade becomes normal viid the demand for skilled men increases, because skilled men will then hav© to be imported and our own ~©ys will become the unskilled workers, ‘‘The normal solution is work.” states the report, ‘‘but .if there is none available a substitute must be found. It is therefore of the utmost importance that local organisations shall make such arrangements with technical school • authorities in the various ten •>res a-5 will assist in overcoming, this difficulty by providing fnerlities for vocational training.... As the training provided in our' technical schools has ■moved to be efficient, ..we- have no hesitation in recommeding that, provided a pimii! shows a satisfactory degree of proficiency, the time spent it such schools or continuation classes shall b© deemed to be a portion of his apprenticGslrP period, e.g:, two years’ training .shall count as one year of apprenticeship.” The committee also stresses the importance of physical, social and intellectual activities, and urges on local organisations the desirability of including in their programme of activities for unemployed hoys a course of physicinl 'training. Atfei fiion is ;directed- to >a remedy suggested by T-ir. C. It- Bee iv, of Canterhury- Gf'Uege, -‘da, twin probationer scheme.”