ELECTRICAL TRADE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 43, 14 November 1941, Page 8

ELECTRICAL TRADE

Apprentices Fail To Qualify TECHNICAL TRAINING

Proposals For Dealing

With Problem

Recommendations of the conference which was held in Wellington last week to consider the problem which had arisen because of the large number of apprentices in the electrical trade who failed to pass their examimitiops were released yesterday for publication. During a recent healing by the Apprenticeship Committee of the Industrial Emergency Council, of an application to enlarge tlie quota of apprentices in tlie electrical trades, it was disci■ 1 that of the apprentices now peri J to be employed a verylarge pro,., .lion failed to qualif) as tradesmen at the end of their apprenticeship. Over a period of six years an average of only 31 per cent, of candidates had passed the theoretical examination and 50 per cent, the practical examination. This meant a great wastage of the boys entering this trade and tlie Apprenticeship Committee decided it would be wise to take steps to prevent this wastage and make a greater use of tlie boys available. The Minister of Labour, on the advice of the Industrial Emergency Council, therefore arranged for the holding of a conference of all the interested parties. Causes of Trouble.

The general discussion of the subject disclosed several probable causes of the trouble. These were stated to be as follows:—(1) That there was not a satisfactory standard of education reached by the boys before their apprenticeship. (2) There was not any satisfactory collaboration between the employer and the parents or guardians of the apprentices during their training. (3) There was not a satisfactory co-operation between the parents, the Employers, the technical schools, and the apprenticeship committees. (4) Tlie attendance at technical schools was haphazard and unsatisfactory. (5) A measure of daylight training of apprentices in technical schools appeared to be desirable. (6) The examination syllabus and technique required overhauling. With a view to meeting these dinieulties the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: (1) The conference is convinced of the desirability of boys acquiring the minimum standard of postrpi limit) eductaion before apprenticeship to the electrical trade, and the conference endorses the principle of the Wellington application for amendment of the apprenticeship order in that area, for provision to be made for a minimum pre-entry educational standard of two years in a post-primary school course with satisfactory attainments in English, mathematics and drawing. The conference recommends that this standard of education be required of all boys seeking apprenticeship iu tlie electrical trade. Signing of Contract. (2) Where practicable the employer, apprentice and parents (or guardians) shall be required to attend together at the office of the district registrar of apprentices for the signing of the contract, and the district registrar shall advise all parties of their obligations under the contract and as to the manner in which any complaints may be made by any party to the contract to the district registrar for the consideration of the apprenticeship committeeOn tlie registration of au apprenfiee the district registrar shall forward to the apprentice, to the parent or guardian and to the employer the following information: (a) Au extract from appropriate legislation pertinent to the apprentices’ obligations; (b) the location of the nearest technical school with ft syllabus of the course recommended for the apprentice; (c) The name of the technical school nearest to the apprentice which provides u correspondence course in suitable subjects. (3) That employers should be required to forward half-yearly in July and December to the district registrar of apprentices for reference to tlie apprenticeship committees giving details as to tlie general behaviour of the apprentice, his suitability or otherwise for tlie trade, diligence, interest in work and the progress he is making. Further, that technical school authorities should also forward half-yearly reports as to the attendance and progress of apprentices and that copies of both reports be forwarded by the committee or where there is no committee, by the registrar to the parent or guardian. Tlie committee, or where there is no committee, the district registrar shal also forward a copy of the technical school’s report to the employer, and a copy of the employers report to tlie technical schools. Course of Training.

(4) That attendance at a technical school or other approved institution be made compulsory in all cases in winch attendance of the apprentice is practicable and that in all other cases the apprentice shall be required to take a course of technical training through a correspondence school conducted by the Education Department or other approved institution. (5) That the confere nee endorses the principle of daylight technical training during working hours but considers that under present war conditions the enforcement of this principle is not practicable. It is therefore recommended I hat as a temporary measure for the war period, upfu'en tiers should be required to attend technical school classes on Saturday mornings, and that for such attendance the employer shall pay ordinary time rates (with a minimum payment of -/■) in addition to the weekly wa S e - . (G) That the Wiremens Registration Board should arrange a conference with the Education Department with a view to securing the greatest possible measure of co-ordination between the work of the two bodies in the technical training of apprentices, ail'd that it be a recommendation that this conference should consider any amendments to the examination and licensing systems which are thought desirable, particularly in respect ot annual progressive examinations. (7) That the title of the Electrical Wiremen’s Registration Act Lie changed to "The Electrical Workers’ Registration Act.” (8) Thai while the conterenee lias given serious consideration to the suggestion that special inspectors be appointed, it is of opinion that as the Labour Department undertakes at the request of apprenticeship committees Io make available the services of an officer of the department to make any necessary inquiries and report to the apprenticeship committee, the appointment of special inspectors should not be considered al prescnl. particularly in view iif the recommendation made as Io regular reports on the apprentices' training and progress. (!)) That the proposed amendments (o the Apprentices Act providing for

Dominion committees and Dominion apprenticeship orders be proceeded with.

COMING CONFERENCE

Payment Of Apprentices ( By Telegraph-Pre.-.• .-.al icn > AUCKLAND, November 13. At the request of the Federation of Labour, the Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, is convening a conference of representatives of the Employers’ Federation ail'd the Federation of Labour to consider a proposal for an agreement "that wages of apprenticeship orders lie made to apply to existing as well as future apprenticeship contracts.” The conference will be held in Wellington on Wednesday.

apprentice wages

Time Lost In Territorial Training Under the existing Suspension of Apprenticeship Emergency Regulations an apprentice undergoing 1 erritorial (raining'is credited with the period it training as time served un'iler bis contract of apprenticeship for the purpose of calculating wages payable to him under the contract, but the period of such training is required to be made up at the end of the apprenticeship term on such terms and conditions relatin'' to wages or otherwise as may tie prescribed by an apprenticeship committee Amended regulations gazetted last night fix "the rate of remuneration for the time to be imide up at the end of the apprenticeship term al halt the difference between the join nej mail s rate and the rate prescribed in the contract for the last six months of the apprenticeship.