FARM APPRENTICE SCHEME

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27489, 25 October 1954, Page 8

FARM APPRENTICE SCHEME

PROGRESS LEAGUE’S SUGGESTION

SUPPORT OF FEDERATED FARMERS SOUGHT

(New Zealand Press Association) OAMARU, October 24. Proposals for a farm labour apprenticeship scheme put forward by the Primary Production Council of the North Otago Progress League are to be further investigated by the North Otago provincial executive of Federated Farmers. This decision was reached at the monthly meeting of the executive.

In a letter outlining the scheme, the Primary Production Council said that it was hoped that ultimately the control of the scheme would be taken up by Federated Farmers of New Zealand and spread through the various branches to a national coverage. There was at present no organisation to cover New Zealand as a whole for turning out either trained farm workers or apprentices to the farming industry, the letter said.

The council was of the opinion that a system of farm apprenticeship should be established to provide a reservoir of young trained men and women from i whom the farmers of tomorrow could be < rawn. There was room, if not an urg•-•nt demand, for some sound system of organised training for farm workers to bring them up to a high standard of skill and manual dexterity which could only be acquired by experience under both favourable conditions and expert guidance, the council said. Individual Contracts The council suggested that a system of farm apprentices with individual contracts for trainees on the better types of farms would give the results that were required. It was proposed that a local farm apprenticeship committee with an independent chairman should be set up with representatives of employers and employees, and including an educationalist -with experience in the industry. The type of contract should cover three separate types of farming—high country, dairying and general farming, the council suggested. Proposals of the qualifications which would be desirable for the efficient working of the scheme, and the wages which would be required to be paid were outlined by the council. •