SKILLED TRADESMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1939, Page 4

SKILLED TRADESMEN

NEW ZEALAND YOUTHS WANTED. WAIRARAPA COLLEGE BOARD’S SUGGESTIONS. “As so many skilled tradesmen are being admitted to the Dominion, I have’ to suggest that the Ministers concerned be urged to investigate the problem of how to speed up the training of our own young people, stated Mr G. G. Hancox, principal of the Wairarapa College in his monthly report to the board last night. “Owing to the inability of many likely boys in the preparatory Trades and Industries Courses throughout the Dominion to obtain apprenticeships in the past, there has been a great wastage of our own promising material. Boys who would have made first-class tradesmen have been compelled to follow unskilled occupations.” Members of the board were in hearty agreement with Mr Hancox, and they considered that there should be some co-operation between Government officials and employers on such an important and serious question. Members of the board were also of the opinion that the apprenticeship laws should be altered to allow boys who were engaged in skilled trades at school the opportunity of becoming apprentices without having to serve their full time. At present a boy who had served three years at school had no advantage over the boy who left primary school and was apprenticed then. The secondary school lad still had to serve his five years, which in reality amounted to eight.

After further discussion, Mr Hancox’s suggestion was carried as a resolution and the following resolution was also passed: —“That the attention of the Minister be drawn to the excellent facilities existing for the training of skilled tradesmen at the Wairarapa College and that the co-opera-tion of the board would be offered in any action he took in the matter.