YOUTH AND WORK

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 308, 23 September 1932, Page 12

YOUTH AND WORK

Inquiries by M.P.’s DELAY WITH REPORT Apprenticeship Question The investigation into the juvenile unemployment problem which has been carried out during recent months by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., and Mr. A. E. Ansell, M.P., has practically been completed, .but the compilation of the report they intend to submit to the Government has been delayed owing to the late arrival of written statements by apprenticeship committees in various parts of the country. Mr. Smith has been devoting himself particularly to the apprenticeship question in view of his wide experience of this problem, and he has collected a mass of detail which will be considered first by the Minister of Labour and then by Cabinet. Mr. Smith has been connected with Labour questions for many years, and his term -at the Ministry of Labour has proved useful to him in investigating many aspects of the apprenticeship problem. On the other hand, Mr. Ansell has been dealing more particularly with juvenile education in the light of employment difficulties, investigating technical education, agricultural instruction, and allied subjects. The report on the complete investigation will probably not be presented to the Government for some time, but it will be ready in time to enable any necessary legislation to be brought down this session.

It Is likely that it will be found desirable to amend the Shops and Offices Act and the Factories Act, while changes may be necessary in parts of the land laws to enable youths to receive more extensive training on the land. This particular point has been receiving considerable attention. As previously stated there will almost certainly be changes in the law concerning apprentices this session.