ABOVE NORMAL

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 29

ABOVE NORMAL

PUPILS IN EMPLOYMENT

VALUE OF TRAINING

"Much has been heard during this year about the unemployment of boys and a little about the unemployment of girls, so much, that in February we anticipated difficulty in finding positions for those who were ready to undertake work," said the principal of the Wellington Technical College (Mr. E. G. Ridling), in presenting hiS report at the annual prize-giving ceremony yesterday. "The actual position is that wp placed in industry up to December 1 214. boys and 73 girls. This is rather above the placings in a normal year, and is duo to the consistent effort of our vocational master, Mr. A. Kirk, and to a complete confidence hi our college product."

Mr. Ridling said that las 1 year he had .drawn attention to the wastage caused by parents withdrawing junior pupils and placing them into work. This year 53 first-year boys had been withdrawn because parents were still obsessed by the fear of unemployment should their boys remain longer at school. Such action was inadvisable since no difficulty had been experienced in placing the more advanced boys while steady progress was being made in placing the more highly trained girls,

In advising parents to have more confidence and to allow their children to remain longer under the control of the school, Mr. Ridling quoted the following section of Mr. Kirk's report: "To those parents who have allowed their boys, to take any job and discontinue their training and studies at the same time, we can state that they have made a very, definite contribution to the unemployment problem. At the present time the vocational master has. periodical visits from youths between 19 and 22 years of age who are seeking employment. Ih the majority of cases their unfortunate plight is due to lack1 of training."