Youth Employment

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3482, 16 August 1937, Page 6

Youth Employment

FARM TRAINING. The Labour Department recently invited the New Zealand Fanners' Union to outline any contemplated labour difficulty in respect of the. coming season in the hope that mutual discussion would reveal an acceptable method of meeting the position. The Union representatives reported that though the season has not yet commenced, a heavy demand for labour is evident, and is regarded as evidence that a later numerical shortage would inevitably occur. The representatives suggested that to avoid an undesirable' position and at the same time enable a number of young men to acquire some knowledge of farming operations instead of being compelled to depend upon sustenance, farmers be given some incentive to engage them at the rates of remuneration laid down in the Agricultural Workers' Act, I!>3G. The Acting Minister of Liabour (Hon P. C. Webb) has stated that the Government was very pleased to receive the suggestion, which would improve the position of young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who "ere registered and eligible for relief, and, it is hoped, lead to permanent employment in many eases. The present proposal, of course, was more to meet an anticipated emergency than to represent Government policy in a long-range programme. The problem of providing for an adequate supply of labour to meet the requirements of our primary industries has been receiving the attention of the Government continuously since it assumed office, and the importance of this question is fully appreciated. Concrete proposals are ;it present in course of preparation, designed to encourage boy.s to take up farming as their life's work, but to be successful such ;i scheme must be comprehensive, commencing with vocational guidance in the schools, post primary training where practicable, some years of practical work as farm assistants and trainees and, last but not least, some outlook in life as an ultimate goal to be aimed ;it. It has, thcrefo,,.. been decided that fanners willing to employ inexperienced but otherwise suitable registered and eligible young men between the ages of IS and 23 years will be reimbursed over ;i period of six months generally to the extent of the susteu-

aneo allowance which otherwise would be payable. A strict condition of the plan will be that statutory remuneration will be paid and reasonable living conditions and opportunity for practical training offered. The conditions of the plan provide that youths registering for relief after this date must provide satisfactory evidence of age, that subsidy shall not be payable to any farmer who is considered to have dispensed with regular labour to take advantage of the subsidy, and that on completion of the six monthly engagement the farmer shall supply a certificate showing the range of duties performed by the candidate and the manner in which they were carried out. The Farmers' Union has offered the assistance of its branches in investigating disputes and submitting, to the Department a recommendation as to the action to be taken; this evidence of a desire to co-operate with the Government has been gladly accepted.