CHOOSING JOBS FOR BOYS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25713, 27 January 1949, Page 4

CHOOSING JOBS FOR BOYS

RIGHTS OF PARENTS IN DECISION STATE COMPETITION WITH INDUSTRY “Who is best qualified to advise a youth what job to take—his parents who know him and his qualities better than anyone else, or an official who interviews him for about 20 minutes?” This question was asked by Mr M. M. Fleming at the meeting of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association Council last night. It was part of a general debate, not the first the council has had, on the effort being made to get youth labour for the Civil Service and the needs of production. Mr Fleming' said that in one case he knew of a boy who had done several years of an engineering course. His parents wanted him to stay at school for another year. Some official managed to see him, not in the presence of his parents, and persuaded him to take a Government job. Before that the meeting had had read to it a letter from a member firm, referring to a recent advertisement for entrants to the Civil Service. The letter asked: “How can employers in commercial business or industry be expected to carry on when there is such an obstacle to overcome? If a check could be made of the numbers taken from industry where they were doing reasonably useful work, and who are now in the Government service in unnecessary and in many instances useless work, we would no doubt receive a severe shock.”

The chairman (Mr F. C. Penfold) said that the matter would certainly come up for discussion at the next Manufacturers’ Federation meeting. It was not' a new one, and it was most serious. Manufacturers had had discussions about it with the Minister of Education (Mr T. H. McCombs) because they lelt that very many more children should be channelled into employment in productive industries. 1 ' • s ° m etime s seemed as if education might be on the wrong lines, or on no lines at all. Children were staying at school much longer, and that in turn had meant overcrowded ers SSeS and 3 h u £ e shortage of teach-

In the brief discussion which foliowed it was said that the Christchurch Rotary Club was about to start ?^ bo 7 s w pe k ” during part of which lads from the primary schools would oe able to see for themselves what various occupations were like. Manufacturers would assist in this. Some members suggested that a “girls’ week on similar lines would also be # de ?’ and that if mi « ht be uselui if factory employees were given social evenings at the factories at night „ at the *r children might see the sort of work their fathers did.