TRAINING TRADESMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1926, Page 6

TRAINING TRADESMEN

(To ttie Editor.)

Sir, —In one of your sub-leaders tonight, reference is made to the establishment, of a New Zealand Technical Schools' Board. This appeals to me as necessary to progress in educational matters. It is true that the technical schools have done much to encourage the students to take up a higher line of education, and there is 110 question .as to the wisdom of setting up a board, thus"'further inducing the student to greater- educational attainments. A board <of this nature is a necessity to bring about the uniformity of working between the various authorities.

In reference to tradesmen, one often thinks how few students there arc who appear to have a desire to proceed further than the ordinary routine nee-1 essary for their own particular trade. This, of course, may be due to many outside influences. Plumbing, with which I am more familiar, may he considered more favoured than other trades in that compulsory training ia necessary, and the apprentice mu;st pass an examination tost to prove his fitness before he can become qualified. The. employers take an interest in the. students, and several inducements aro given to encourage them to become more efficient. But what appealed to me in your article most was the (statement, "With better facilities for training it should be possible to Bhoyten the apprenticeship period, to raise tho standard of qualification, and finally to prepare a way by which young technical tradesmen of promise may pass to the university and the professional occupations which are related to the trades." To shorten the apprenticeship period would be a boon to many of the apprentices, but this is easier said than done. In this particular trade, at least five and a half yearis must be completed before the apprentice is allowed to sit for his examination whether or not he has proved himself a capablo tradesman. Iti is true that other avenues aro open to their advantage, but it appeals to me like putting the cart before the horse. If tho intended board can make it possible for an apprentice plumber to qualify before the completion of his apprenticeship, it would enable him to plod on to higher attainments. Something then would bo accomplished which i consider necessary for raising the standard of tho plumbing craft, as well as the status of the plumber himself.—l am, etc, A. BARCLAY.