Duke Opens Training Week In Britain

Press, Volume C, Issue 29527, 31 May 1961, Page 8

Duke Opens Training Week In Britain

iPA -Krutrr—<.ot>vno"‘» LONDON, May 29. It was Britain's duty to provide technical instructors for the developing countries of the Commonwealth, the Duke of Edinburgh said today at the opening of Commonwealth technical training week.

“It should be obvious that the less developed countries are less developed because the general standard of technical knowledge is not very high. “If these standards are to be improved, technicians and technical instructors have got to come from somewhere. It is not much use for the wealthier countries to offer money or factories or power stations if there is no-one to run them. Provision of Teachers “We in the United Kingdom have therefore the duty of providing more teachers not only for our own expansion but also for the developing countries of the Commonwealth." he said. An audience of 600—including 350 young Commonwealth representatives—heard the Duke say that no country could afford to waste 'the natural aptitudes, brains and skill of its people and expect to develop a reasonable standard of living “Most unskilled jobs are reasonably well paid, and many look very attractive but it is worth remembering that a trained man can do an unskilled job but an unskilled man cannot do a skilled job," he said. Five Busy Days For the Duke, the Commonwealth technical training week will, mean five days of extensive, non-stop engagements in all parts of Britain. In a television interview last night, the Duke of Edinburgh told that British industry needed “a kind of jolt to make it realise that there is a change in the general pattern of industry.” "We have got to make the best use of the skill and brains of the people, and we know perfectly well the people in this country have got a remarkable talent for things if they learn how to do them.” Employed Persons Of the 550.000 people who went into employment in Britain last year. 400.000 went into unskilled work. "That

is a bad proportion," he said. "You can say that our rate of increase in productivity in this country is lower than most countries tn Europe: that may have something to do with the fact that we have not enough people who are technically trained in industry.”