“NO CO-OPERATION”

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 283, 27 August 1935, Page 16

“NO CO-OPERATION”

Vocational Training Charge

Refuted

TECHNICAL COLLEGE Comment on statements in a circular forwarded to school committees dealing with the training given in the school and the placing of boys in positions, was made by the director, Mr. R. G. Ridling, iu his report to the board of governors of the Wellington Technical College last night. It had been stated. Mr. Ridling said, that at the present time (1) “There is no co-operation between the various bodies interested in placing boys and girls in positions. (2) The present result of our vocational training is that a boy may spend three years at the Technical College in an engineering class and then have to take a job with a tailor or a grocer. There is too much placing of square pegs in round holes. ’

“Position Not Accurately Stated.”

“As a result of this I requested the vocational officer to give me a report upon the position as it applies over this year,” Mr. Ridling said. Appended are his figures of students who have been placed in employment for the period February 4 to August 2: — Placed Placed Placed

“The analysis of these shows the position is not accurately set out in the above extracts,” Mr. Ridling said. “The bodies chiefly concerned with the placing of boys and girls in industryare the Boy Employment Committee and the vocational officer associated with the college. There has at all times been co-operation between Mr. Kirk and the Boy Employment Committee. “A second table shows that of the boys who rem long enough at the college to benefit from the prevocational'training very few have been unable to obtain positions where their training has been of very definite value. In the building section, of the seven boys who took up w’ork in different vocations, three who continued the building course iu the evening school have now been placed in the building trade. No difficulties have been found in placing students with an adequate prevocational training in engineering in suitable positions,” Mr. Ridling concluded. Mr. C. H. Chapman. M.P., said the statement of the director had exonerated the Wellington Technical College from any lack of co-operation. It had been most successful in placing both boys and girls in industry, and, in particular, in’ those branches for which they had been trained. Confidence of Business'World. The acting-chairman, Mr. T. Forsyth, suggested that a copy of the director’s statement be sent to the School Committees’ and Educational Federation. Mr. L. W. McKenzie supported Mr. Chapman’s remarks. The director's statement showed the confidence the commercial and business worlds placed in the college’s training, he said. The Y.M.C.A. had done wonderful work also. Mr. T. Brindle said the- vocational officer had done exceedingly good work in placing students in suitable positions.

. The acting-chairman’s suggestion was adopted.

in in in direct allied diff’nt. Boys— voc’tn. voc’tn. voc’tn. Art .. 6 6 7 Building . ... T .. 6 I Commerce .... 2*2 11 4 • Engineering Girls 1 — .. 39 4 10 Art 2 — — Commercial .. 31 — 1 Home Science .. 10 —— 2