CHOICE OF A CAREER

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 7

CHOICE OF A CAREER

Work Of Youth Centre BOOKLETS PREPARED Since its inception in June of last year the Government Youth Centre in Wellington has been steadily increasing the scope of its activities and now many lirms regularly approach the centre when they are in search for boys and girls for positions. A return prepared after the centre had been in operation for six mouths showed that 338 boys bud enrolled in that period, that figure including a proportion who had visited the centre for vocational guidance ami were not necessarily seeking employment right, away. The placements, including those which terminated at future dates, totalled 1.52 and 67 boys were self-plac-ed in employment. In the next 12 months the activities of the centre increased considerably, and in that period there were 696 new enrolments of boys, 473 placements and 87 self-placements. The enrolments among the girls showed a corresponding increase. At the end of the lirst six months there were 137 enrolments, 68 placements and 38 girls had been self-placed. In the next. 12 months there were 561) fresh enrolments, 305 placements ami 2O‘.i girls were self-placed. Many Inquiries. -Mr. 8. IL Petersen, secretary of the centre, said yesterday that inquiries were constantly being received for boys and girls for lirst-class positions. Last week alone inquiries had been received for the following types of employment: Office (5), farm work (4), shop assistants (4), factory (3), motor engineer (2), warehouseman (2), garage assistant (1), cabinetmaker's machinist apprentice (1), presser (1> and mechanic’s assistant (1). Discussing the year’s work. Mr. Petersen said that a gratifying feature was the confidence shown In the centre by employers and the steady growth in

the number of those making use of the centre to till their employment needs. It had been found that the actual number of occupations nominated by boys of their own volition was surprisingly small. With the idea of spreading the interest so that occupations which had been passed by as not worthy of consideration would have more appeal, booklets had been prepared for distribution to boys and girls leaving school. The books were being given to all primary school leavers from I’aekakariki and Upper Hutt south and also to the secondary schools as far north as New Plymouth and Napier. The vocational guidance officers, Miss P. L. Juli, Dip.H.Sc., and .Mr. A. A. Kirk. 8.A., recently visited I lie schools in the Wairarapa district. Mr. Kirk interviewed 70 boys ami their parents and Miss .lull close on a hundred girls. Inforinativc Booklets.

The booklet on careers for boys, prepared by .Mr. Kirk and Mr. Petersen, is divided into three sections, educational, vocational and industrial and commercial. In a preface the compilers of the booklet state: “Experience witli both parents and boys has drawn our attention to the serious lack of knowledge that exists concerning the variety of occupations available to boys in a district like ibis; and the uncertainty which prevails concerning the value of post-primary education. Lads seeking employment without the assistance of a vocational adviser seldom nominate occupations other limn (he immediate or obvious; ami though there are more limn 300 classilied occupations in the Wellington district, little more than a dozen of these are chosen without guidance.”

The booklet for girls was compiled by .Miss .lull and by Mrs. K. U. Cresswell, girls’ employment officer. It contains exhaustive information about post-primary schools for girls and the careers open to them. An appeal is made to parents not to allow their children to leave school and go to work too early. “Among the most difficult cases that are handled by (be Vocational Guidance Office," the booklet states, “are girls whose education and training have been neglected after the primary school stage.”