Pre-job courses get a boost

Press, 19 August 1982, Page 14

Pre-job courses get a boost

PA Wellington Pre-employment . programmes for young people “greatly increased" last year, says the Education Department. Both the volume of courses and number of students received a boost, with over 4000 students involved, the Department said in its annual report. It also noted a trend away from the former six-week pre-employment course to more diverse skills courses ranging from one to 20 weeks. The skills were as varied as- opossum trapping, warehousing, heavy vehicle driving, garage attendance,

shearing, and wool handling. The Department said that there was a trend, in regions where large construction projects were planned, for courses to reflect the work skills likely to be in demand. For example, in Taranaki welding and light engineering were popular courses. The report also said that the large areas of land being developed for horticulture should provide significant growth in employment opportunities. “This is reflected in the increased number of students (up to 23 per cent in the past two years ) taking courses (in agriculture-horticulture), and the much wider variety of courses being offered."