“Apprenticeships Encouraged”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31238, 9 December 1966, Page 13

“Apprenticeships Encouraged”

Christchurch has always had a far larger proportion of apprentice master painters a head of population than any other centre in New Zealand, the secretary of the Canterbury Guild of Master Painters, Decorators and Signwriters (Mr S. Falkingham) said on Wednesday.

Mr Falkingham was replying to a statement in “The Press” from the secretary of the Christchurch Painters’ Industrial Union of Workers (Mr A. F. Ross). Mr Ross had criticised the system of training and standard of work done by master painters in Christchurch.

"Mr Ross states that employers in Christchurch are refusing to employ apprentices,” said Mr Falkingham. “Has he any proof? “Most contracts of apprenticeship are registered after the Christmas holidays. Christchurch has always had a far larger proportion of apprenticeship registrations a head of population than any other centre, including Auckland,” he said. In March, 1965, there had been 94 contracts in force in Auckland and 89 in Canterbury, excluding Timaru. Of the New Zealand total of 680, Christchurch had had about 13 per cent. There had been 35 new contracts signed in Christchurch since April 1, 1966. “We absorb each year, as ■well as local boys, the boys from the Maori apprenticeship training scheme run here. Approximately 12 are placed in employment to complete their apprenticeship.

“Employers throughout New Zealand and particularly in Christchurch have, over the last few years, given every encouragement and assistance to apprenticeship training,” said Mr Falkingham. Evening Classes “The Canterbury Master Painters’ Guild has helped initiate evening classes at the Technical Institute this year, and has provided an honours board and trophies for top apprentices.” He said every encouragement was given to apprentices to pass their trade examinations for which they were

given a credit of time off their contracts. Because of the cut in the apprenticeship term from five years to four earlier this year, the guild was even keener to facilitate the training of boys by more concentrated training so that the public could be sure the work was being done by competent tradesmen. “It would behove Mr Ross to set his own house in order before criticising employers,” said Mr Falkingham. “The union accepts any person into its ranks, and it does little to encourage apprenticeship, when a boy finds that after signing a contract with

an employer to serve an apprenticeship he has working alongside himself a person with little or no experience receiving wages many times above his own. “It could happen that a boy serving an apprenticeship could have one of his mates from school working alongside him and receiving a journeyman’s rate because the union had accepted that lad as a member,” he said. “Surely if Mr Ross is so keen to encourage boys and master painters to foster apprenticeship, he should at least set about protecting the very system of apprenticeship.”