Youth and Employment

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21866, 20 August 1936, Page 10

Youth and Employment

The Minister for Public Works has deplored the fact, that a. steel works at Sockburn is handicapped by lack of sufficient moulders. " The "trouble is," said Mr Semple, "that we have "knocked off training workers for skilful em"ployment for the last four or five years, and "have diverted them into blind alley occupa- " tions. We have created a nation of unskilled "workers. We have been travelling in reverse "gear, but now we must change gears, accel- " erate, and go in the right direction." Everything said there is true. In the last few years youths have been compelled to go into unskilled occupations because ordinary avenues of employment were closed to them during the depression. Now, the Government, by some of its recent • legislation, is going, to be the means of forcing other youths into blind alley occupations, and so far it has shown no concern about them. And they are not going to be helped in the slightest by picturesque talk about gear changing. Enforcement of payment of the basic wage to all workers when they- reach 21 years of age is going to deal a terrible blow to youths within two or three years of that age who are now attempting to make a start in life. Employers will not engage them when they have the chance of taking younger boys who may have a reasonable chance of being worth the •basic wage after a few years of instruction and work. School authorities are satisfied that the position is being made difficult for older boys who will lose the opportunity of obtaining work in commerce and industry. Already there is preference for younger boys, and as the position stands at present those boys who remain longer at the secondary schools are going to be the victims of enthusiastic shortsightedness on the. part of the Government. This flaw in recent legislation must be remedied immediately if Mr Semple's words are going to mean anything. > Conditions generally in the Dominion have improved so much that every youth had reasonable prospects of following the career of his choice; but the Government has dealt a blow at a small but important section of the community. The pick and doublehanded shovel of which Mr Semple spoke will certainly.be a fitting emblem for many boys whose only fault is staying an extra year or two at a secondary school.