TRADES WING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 253, 25 October 1943, Page 2

TRADES WING

SOLDIERS TRAINED CERTIFICATES GIVEN (No. 2) The progress ?bf each student in the Trades Training Wing of the Army School of Instruction, Trentham, is carefully watched throughout the course, and at its conclusion he is classified according to ability after consideration of his report, and sent back to his unit. At the same time the unit receives a recommendation as to how he should be employed The serviceman also receives a trades certificate which is entered in his paybook. This certificate provides the man with an authoritative record of his specialised training which is of value to the man's unit and which, together with the record of the

man's subsequent service at his trade, should help him when he returns to civil life. The classification of Army tradesmen is as follows: — Class I.: Highly skilled tradesman capable of supervising other tradesmen. Corresponds to civilian charge hand or foreman. Class II.: Tradesman capable of carrying out most work without detailed instructions and constant supervision. Class III.: Artisans who still require guidance and supervision. These correspond to "improvers" in civilian trades. Firms Co-operate The co-operation and assistance of private firms in the training of certain kinds of tradesmen has been freely given in New Zealand. For example, a large motor assembly firm has co-operated with the Army in building up a most unusual school, which can take nearly 200 1 men at a time. Soldier students j receive basic training there for 1

approximately four months, bemg given skilled instruction, backed by the whole of the firm's resources. From this school the men pass to an Army training establishment attached to a large Army mechanical transport workshop. Every type of vehicle in the Army passes through this workshop, thus giving the students wide training on practical productive repair work. Finally the students go on to a second civil school maintained by another motor assembly firm which provides skilled specialist instruction on certain non-conventional types of motors. Similarly auto-electricians, after a period of basic training at the works of a large motor assembly firm, are sent in small groups to reputable private firms where they do practical work alongside the civilian staffs. This training occupies about four months. The whole of the work of the students while engaged at these private firms is supervised by an , officer of the Trades Wing who

works in close consultation with the civilian instructors. The men live in barracks, are rationed and quartered by the Army. Instrument Mechanics The multiplicity of delicate instruments required in the modern Army demands skilled technicians for their care and maintenance. To meet this demand an intensive training course of eight months is undertaken by selected personnel. Besides being mechanically-minded and used to working with fine equipment, these men must have had a good secondary education, , preferably up to matriculation standard. . i

The course in its basic stages includes optics, mathematics, applied mathematics, electricity, machine mechanisms, machine drawing and light fitting and turning. So far this basic training has been done in the Auckland University College Engineering School. After four months' basic training the men are sent to an ordnance

depot, where, in the instrument shop, they apply what they have learnt. Under supervision they repair instruments, including binoculars, telescopes, predictors, gun sights and range finders. They are posted eventually to ordnance units as instrument mechanics. Driver Mechanics A policy for the driving and maintenance of Army vehicles has been laid down by the Trades Wing on the lines of the "task system" designed for the British Army. This involves the carrying out of a routine maintenance cycle spread over 14 days and recorded in a log book. This is taught in the driving and maintenance section of the wing.

The Army driver-mechanic must be much more than a driver. His training is all aimed at equipping him with sufficient mechanical knowledge to carry out the maintenance cycle referred to, to detect potential 'faults at an early stage, and generally to carry out his main duty, which is to keep his vehicle on the road. This section also conducts courses for new vehicles as soon as they are issued to the Army. Although the Trades Wing is not primarily concerned with training soldiers for civil life after their war service,, the fact that the specialist training is likely to prove of considerable value to them is fully recognised. As far as possible men to be trained for a particular technical job in the Army are selected from those formerly engaged in the corresponding civilian, trade or an allied trade. Many who have served part of their apprenticeship have been taken into the wing for instruction. They are keen to take this opportunity of learning more about their trade.

Satisfactory Results

For a number of reasons the concentrated full-time instruction provided by the Trades Wing con pares more than favourablv with civilian apprenticeship. Some apprenticeship training is desultory and in some cases apprentices are handicapped because those under whom they work, though highly skilled are not good teachers- nor have they the time to devote the r f "ention to the apprentices all day long. For these reasons the student undergoing Army trades traintaS can atttain in his six to S months' course a much higher stin dard than he would have attain "d during a similar period hi civil m P Civilian tradesmen and engineers who have visited the wing have been most favourably impressed: Although the Trades Wing i<, it lZ Sen n\e? g TI in h meeti "S § a vita admirably suited fnr i,• be diately after he war ? n Jffit