Skilled plumber shortage

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 3

Skilled plumber shortage

The greatest of many problems facing the plumbing industry was ia shortage of skilled plumbers, the president of the New Zealand Society of Master Plumbers (Mr J. Lusty) told the society’s annual conference when it opened in Christchurch yesterday. i “It is not as if this state was reached in ignorance. ' for my predecessors have , : stressed over the years the . need for plumbing employers' to employ their full quota , of apprentices and to spon- , sor overseas plumbers who : , wish to emigrate to New;, Zealand. This has not been done as much as it should,” |, said Mr Lusty. i ( He said that the Govern- \, ment could ease the situ-1, ation if it would change its : policy to permit the Depart- ’ ment of Education to extend, i

the practical training of apprentices. Over recent years this policy had prevented preapprenticeship training, preemployment training. the provision of trade training courses at secondary schools or full-time trade training after leaving school. Another problem, said Mr Lusty, was a serious shortage of plumbing supplies—especially toilet pans, galvanised steel pipe and brassware. Merchants had told him. he said, that New Zealand manufacturers were unable to supply orders promptly and in many cases did not fill them for three to six months. At the same time, he said. Government departments had been reluctant to grant increased import licences to ease the supply position. “For some time the Government has built up record overseas reserves to the detriment of New Zealanders — some of these reserves could well be used to build up stocks,” he said.