Labour Lacking In Printing Industry

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 9

Labour Lacking In Printing Industry

The printing industry faced a labour shortage for at least the next 10 years. The shortage was evident now, and could become more acute within the next few years unless positive steps were taken to meet the situation.

The president of the Federation of Master Printers of New Zealand (Mr E. P. Salmon, of Auckland) told this to the annual conference of the federation at Palmerston north on Saturday. He urged a new outlook towards apprenticeship and craft training for the industry “ ... an outlook much more in keeping with its wonderful technical and artistic progress.” About 170 members of the federation, together with their wives and guests, are in Palmerston North for the conference.

“A recent survey prepared by the secretary of this federation shows that the demand for the products of the printing industry is growing faster than the industry’s ability to cope with it. On the basis of the statistical growth of the industry the output will be doubled in value in the 10 years to the end of 1973. While more automatic machinery will help meet this demand, the labour supply could fall far behind requirements,” Mr Salmon said. “The secretary’s report provides a projection over the next 10 years of the skilled staff required by the industry if the present rate of intake and the present apprentice system is continued. This reveals a shortage of at least 1500 adult male tradesmen by 1973, by which year the estimated labour force required would be 12,000 men.” Immigration

A vigorous immigration policy would relieve this shortage to some extent, but the long-term answer could be found only in a more flexible apprentice system and a more liberal approach to training. Coupled with this, members must accept their responsibility to employ their quota of apprentices, he said.

The method of recruiting and training the skilled journeyman was virtually the same as 800 years ago—devised for an economy very different from today. The system provided for the future journeyman to be apprenticed to a “master” who contracted to teach the boy the mysteries of the craft. “Printing is traditionally a craft industry, but the ‘craft’ element has been, and from day to day is being, materially changed by the onslaught of automation. The tradesmen with the inclination and aptitude to train a boy in today’s maze of technology is becoming'a rarity. He finds it increasingly difficult to keep up with the progress in the field of electronics alone.” Far better, surely, said Mr Salmon, to place the boy in the hands of a trained teacher for a period, to learn theory and rudiments of the printing craft. New Zealand has already a school of printing -staffed and equipped to give the apprentice a course of some months* duration. Intense Training On the foundation of three years* post-primary education

and an extended “pressure cooker” course at the school of printing, the term of apprenticeship could be considreably reduced, continued Mr Salmon. “The trend today is to train people more quickly. Educational standards are higher and the boys are more ready and able to learn advanced skills than was the case some years ago. With the rapid technical development of the industry these highly-skilled men will readily find a place and help maintain the high prestige of the printing industry. “A move towards preliminary trade training in an established school, with ’ a shorter apprenticeship, will achieve the objective of a standard. The traditions of the past can be successfully blended into the developments and requirements of the present. The master printer and his craftsman will continue to service the community in all fields—economic, social, technical, educational and cultural—whether public or private. “The lead should be taken by this federation to call a conference of master printers, workers’ representatives, educationists and appropriate officers of the Labour Department. From these discussions could well come a new outlook towards apprenticeship and craft training for our industry much more in keeping with its wonderful technical and artistic progress,” Mr Salmon said.