TECHNICAL CLASSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 208, 31 August 1920, Page 9

TECHNICAL CLASSES.

BOOTMLS-KING AND SHEETMETAL -WORK. THE XEW WORKSHOP. FOUR STOREYS REQUIRED. S .im' time ago tho present Minister of Education. Hon. I. .1. Parr, hoard a r-tato-ien; of th» ,-a-e for a 'necessary I-..-V huilding to house tho work-hops of the Sedden Memorial Technii-al College. Tho recent Government grant of £-20,000 for this purpose was discussed hy ,1 spe- ■ ial mooting of tho Hoard of Managers of the I'illege yesterday afternoon. Mr. A. ■ I I'ntriran, chniriiirn of tho ltieeting, iv|n i'ted on the fart- of the rns.\ 'There v.-ro that the original proposal was for p. four-storeyed workshop building, the Board considering that the workshops >-- quired could scarcely bo put into loss space than this. The grant was for C-'UXIO, a33d tho Department now author-i-ed a three-storeyed building, and on itiiwn responsibility had cut out tho impoitant shop, for tho trainin_c of boot- 1 makers ami ,-heet tuetal workers. Mr. C A. Watts, secretary of the; Boot Trad.. Federation, attended tlie loeotings and gave facts and figures to show that the boot trade was one of tho most important industries of the Domiui> ii. and technical classes were quite ii ■"■sary to the industry. The absence of facilities for technical training was preventing a full number of apprentices entering this work. He quoted figures to show that whereas there were now some 45S apprentices, there should be -_0. The secretary of the sheet metal workers, Mr. R. F. Barter, advanced similar views regarding that industry, and showed that at present there was a sh(.rta_-e of trained men ill this tion. He said New Zealand was the only country in which there was no technical training for this trade, and this necessarily handicapped apprentices. Tlie Board discussed the position, and considered that space in the new workshop Suilding should certainly be available for these two important technical classes. Mr. Entrican pointed out tliat the ground available for the new building was too small in area to provide another set of workshops, nnd the only way in which these two could be embodied wa* to make the building a four-storeyed one. It would take at least fifteen months to erect the three-storeys authorised. He suggested that the Department be asked to authorise the conptru?tion of four storeys, to be undertaken immediately with the _2-,noo j.'rant. and that the Department be asked to 'iiake a further grant next year for th- 'ompletion. This was the only way in which he could see the sheet metal and boot classes could be included, litis ► was made as a resolution and was'carried. The Board will now deputotionise the Auckland Education Board and the Minister ou the matter.