TRAINING ARTISANS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 12 December 1923, Page 9

TRAINING ARTISANS

Instead of importing skilled tradesmen trom other countries, and thus leaving our own youths to drift aimlessly from one unskilled job to another, the Master Builders Association some time ago inaugurated a scheme for training youths as bricklayers. The scheme hasr been such a success that it is now proposed to extend it to include plasterers. The Minister of Education (Mr. Bruntnell) regards this public-spirited work as a triumph of practical common-sense, and proposes to ask • the Government not merely to help the association in its work but also to render such assistance as.will enable the master builders to extend the system. The unions, it is stated, although they expressed their d-^.auuation at the outset to fi"ht the schemeto the last ditch, have now offered it their blessings, and are persuading their own sons and other relatives to take advantage of it. In ten months the association has given not less than three months intensive training to 76 students, who have all been placed in jobs m the trade, the majority of them at the award rate and over, and the younger lads at rates fixed by the Board of lrade suitable to their ages. With more schemes of this sort throughout -Australia far less would be Seard of a shortage of skilled labour, which un questionably, is one of the biggest ?h° bIeT v.The- work ' incidentally, shows to the unions that the spirit of altruism among employers is not quite U.CU.U. ' . ' ■ . . ■ \ *