Technical Training Leads To Important Jobs

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 14

Technical Training Leads To Important Jobs

By

D. W. LYALL

PRINCIPAL, CHRISTCHURCH TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

'T’HE history of technology goes a very long way back into mankind’s past, and doubtless there have been many times when discovery or invention have attracted attention and aroused speculation, jubilation or apprehension. It is safe to say, however, that at no time more than the present has this been so.

Within the present century the pace of technical advance has increased tremendously; achievements which 30 years ago would have seemed in the realm of fantasy are now matters of fact; and recent demonstrations of our increasing command over material forces have compelled worldwide interest. Apart from the grave problems arising from the destructive applications of nuclear power and the development of new missiles, the leading industrial countries are having to adjust their economies to make use of new materials and new methods of production—not as a matter of choice but of necessity, to ensure economic survival. As a consequence, it has become, in these countries, a national need of first importance to increase the supply of scientists and technologists, technicians and craftsmen. Not In Front Line To what extent does all this affect New Zealand? This Dominion is not in the front line of industrial nations, and cannot be expected to take a leading part in technological advance. She is predominantly an agricultural country. In advancing agricultural knowledge and techniques she has made a noteworthy contribution, and it is to be hoped that she will continue to do so. It is none the less important, however, to see that our growing secondary industries are supplied with recruits sufficient in number, adequately trained and of a quality to ensure that her products will stand comparison with any. Transport, communications and public works also require a steady supply of well-trained engineers—probably a higher proportion than might be needed in an older country, because the Dominion population is still expanding and its need increasing. Present Situation A survey of existing provision for technical' and technological education suggests that New Zealand is not ill-equipped, at least so far as numbers of institutions and geographical coverage are concerned. Few populations of two millions can boast of four universities and two agricultural colleges. The university authorities are alive to the need for modern equipment and buildings and can be relied upon to secure the best available staffing, so that, with a continued supply of students of suitable calibre, there is no reason to doubt that a satisfactory flow of graduates can be maintained.

There are 33 technical schools and colleges some of them mainly technical high schools with an evening school of modest size, but all with an appreciable amount of technical work at the post-day-school level. The major technical colleges have now reached an awkward stage in development. They are comprehensive institutions having a large technical high school as well

as polytechnic classes, day and evening, of several thousand students taking courses in engineering, building, architecture, pharmacy, business management and commerce. The four largest of them have a total roll of over 5000 technical high school pupils and 13,000 part time day and evening students. Expansion at the present time is occurring particularly in apprentice craft training, and in the education of technicians. The organisation of apprentice training in New Zealand was codified in 1948 by the Apprenticeship Act, under which apprenticeship committees were set up, under a Commissioner of Apprenticeship, to administer and supervise apprenticeships in the various trades.

Craft Training

Schemes of craft training, examination and certification are the responsibility of the Trades Certification Board, established in 1949. The principle of “day release” has now been accepted by employers in all the major trades, enabling the apprentice to carry out part of his technical studies in normal working hours.

Some 6500 apprentices attend courses of this kind throughout the Dominion. Some four years ago, steps were taken to close a gap in New Zealand’s technical education system by establishing the “New Zealand Certificate Course” in engineering. This five years part-time course is of great potential value, being designed to produce well qualified engineers at a level between the craftsman and the professional engineer. The course is now well established and soon graduates from it will take their places as assistants to professional engineers in civil, mechanical, electrical and telecommunications engineering. The course is expected to make a substantial contribution towards lessening the shortage of engineers at this level. Adaptation In two centres, Auckland and Hutt Valley, changes have recently been approved to enable the technical colleges to adapt themselves better to the task ahead of them. The Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College has been designated a Central Technical College, to cater not only for local students but also for groups from other parts of the Dominion where suitable classes are not available. These students will supplement their normal Technical Correspondence School

courses by attending the Hutt Valley Institute for “Block” courses for a period of three weeks in each year, when they will carry out laboratory and practical werk which cannot be effectively taught by correspondence. Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College is conveniently situated to work in close collaboration with the Technical

Correspondence School. The Auckland scheme envisages a new and separate building for the day technical school, within the college grounds but having its own headmaster. Day school and technical college will be under one board of managers and the day school buildings will be available for evening school use. This scheme retains some of the advantages of the combined institution in economy of staff and buildings, but the administrative adjustment should encourage freer development of the two sections Some such arrangement is overdue at Auckland and its operation will be observed with interest

Christchurch Technical College, now entering its second halfcentury, is typical of those in the main centres. Ita technical high school roll, at present somewhat reduced by the recent establishment of new high schools, is still about 1000. Day Classes

Day classes for apprentices are attended by some 900 youths from the motor engineering, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, fitting find turning, electrical, sheet metal work and furniture trades. The motor engineering course caters for country apprentices from all over the South Island. A full-time day course, designed to suit Asian trainees under the Colombo technical , assistance plan, is attended by a few selected trainees each year. Evening classes are wide in scope, ranging from hobby or recreational classes to courses of study in engineering, building, accountancy and commerce, business and industrial management and general subjects. Some 2800 students attend these classes in the college, with another 600 in classes controlled by the college in outside centres. An examination of some of the programmes undertaken by parttime evening students shows that, in spite of all that is sometimes said in criticism of the youth of today, we still have plenty of determined, able and ambitious young people. Willing to give up leisure time to equip themselves more fully for their careers. Expansion and development are not things of the future; they have been going on for many years and go on now, month by month, year by year. Granted normal industrial conditions, it is tolerably certain that the next decade will see at least as much advance as any preceding one.

Sheetmetal Work

One of the most interesting departments of engineering is the working 6f sheetmetal, operator! being very much like artists. There is a fascination In seeing a flat sheet of steel being formed by machines, controlled by one’s own hands. There are many types of machines—guillotines, presses, stampers, spotwelders, forme’-’— and most, if not all, are hydraulically or mechanically operated. Generally speaking, workshops producing sheetmetal products exclusively are. by nature of the work, very clean and orderly. They are intriguing places in which to work and are rewarding to those who like to handle machines, test their skill with hand and eye, and create thing satisfying and worthwhile.