‘Urgent Need For Concrete Workers’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 6

‘Urgent Need For Concrete Workers’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 2. There was an urgent need for trained workers with a real knowledge of all the significant aspects of concrete, the commission of inqury into vocational training was told by Mr B. J. Kemp today. He presented submissions on behalf of the Portland Cement Association.

Although the use of cement was increasing rapidly every year—New Zealand produced 773,919 tons in 1964 there were very few workers in concrete who had received any organised training, he said.

Concrete has a major role in the construction industry and its use involved the daily activities of the entire community. Cement and concrete were vital to the community’s economy, said Mr KempMr Kemp said it was to be hoped an increasing number of technical colleges would offer courses regularly year by year.

A pilot course run at the Wellington Polytechnic in 1964 showed a syllabus could be covered in approximately 40 hours of lecturing and

produce satisfactory examination results. For some years, the association had been encouraging technical colleges throughout the country to run concrete lecture courses. Usually they consisted of a series of up to 10 lectures each delivered by a specialist. The courses were of an advanced nature and were more suitable for supervisory staff than for workers who would be taking the concrete construction practice certificate.