POSTS FOR BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 144, 15 December 1933, Page 8

POSTS FOR BOYS

HEADMASTER'S COMMENT

OLDER LADS HANDICAPPED

The boy employment • problem was referred to by Mr. W. A. Armour, headmaster of Wellington College, in his annual report, presented at last night's prize-giving ceremony. He drew attention to the fact that the main difficulty was to find places for older boys, younger lads in the main being preferred. . "An unusually large number of pupils secured employment during the year," stated Mr. Armour. "Indeed, I may say that as regards t^is school the employment problem ceased to exist. There remains, of course, the task for, parents of securing employment for those of their sons who have now come to the end of their school career without a post in sight. It ■seems to.have been proved that should the needs of these, not be supplied before next term begins, the best course ia for" such pupils to return to school, where'the school, organisation will supplement the parents' efforts to obtain posts for those deserving and capable of filling them. ■'- "One of our main difficulties is to.find places for older boys. It is a fact that in a .few business-houses older lads are preferred.: This, however, is the exception.. I cannot -help wondering whether the policy of "employing boys of 15 and 16 when boys of 17 and 18 are available and willing to take positions is really the best one. It is true that in certain trades and occupations conditions of employment are governed by awards which control the age at which employment must begin. But there are many avenues of employment not thus limited. NEW ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. "It would seem as if new economic conditions will render a shorter Week and perhaps also a shorter.'day^ necessary in almost all occupations. "' As a. corollary to this, it will likely follow that there will bo a postponement in the age of entry for young people into the world of business and commerce. These are tendencies which we can hardly ignore. It should really be just as practicable for employers: in those businesses not governed by~a'pprenticeship awards to draw their juniors from our fourth or even fifth year.pupils as from our second or third.year pupils. Other things being equal, the older J pupils should have the better equipment and be able to render the better service, and today they are certainly prepared to begin in the most junior positions. "Iv dealing with the subject of boy employment, I must express hearty appreciation' of the work done by the Citizens' Committee, supplemented by the officers of the V.M.C.A., whose efforts have been responsible for placing so many lads in positions. It is not widely enough known that there are soveral gentlemen, mainly retired public servants, who have freely given months of work, to assist in placing lads. Their only reward is the feeling that their efforts have been highly successful."