Many Difficulties Met In Finding Youths Vocations

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1942, Page 6

Many Difficulties Met In Finding Youths Vocations

Auckland, Aug. 31. "Apprenticeship difficulties are a very real problem to vocational guidance officers," states Mr. H. G. Dorrington, vocational guidance officer at Auckland. "Particularly, insufficiency of journeymen makes it imposslble for firms who are otherwise willing, to, apprentice suitable boys, and security of employment is lost to the youths. Noteworthy, too, is the large number of both boys and girls who are compelled to take up work on farms where, in normal times, they would have chosen another vocation." Returns from 42 post-primary schools in the Auckland province give the following figures: Number of boys going Idirectly from school to camp, 80; prevented from taking up suitable careers because of approach of military age, 37; prevented from taking up suitable apprenticeship owing to insufficiency of journeymen, 2; in unsuitable essential occupations and unable to transfer, 3; prevented from starting a career for other reasons, 31. Comments by headmasters who were not always in possession of the information necessary fully to complete the questionnaire, give the definite impression that many boys have left school earlier than they would in normal times owing to their approaching military age. As to frustration in taking up appren- , ticeships, the position is deemed to be far worse than the figures indicate. Most of the 31 classed as "prevented from starting a career for other reasons" are boys who are working on farms, usually family property, owing to the shortage of labour. From the same group 'of schools, 34 girls left because they were required on the home farm. Figures from private schools were not secured. During the last 12 months there has been an abnormal demand on the schools for labour, both male and female. In some cases boys have been attracted by high wages; in others they were needed to supplement family fi'nances where the father had been called up for military service.