TO REAP BENEFITS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 50, 28 August 1934, Page 9

TO REAP BENEFITS

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

BRITISH WORKING YOUTH

EXTRA INSTRUCTION

(British Official Wireless.) (Keeeived August 28, 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, August 27-

About 700,000 juvenile workers not now insured will from next Monday reap tho benefits of State insurance as the result of the provision made in tho Unemployment Act for lowering the ago of entry. Hitherto, although most boys aud girls leave school and obtain employment shortly after reaching fourteen, they havo not come under the Unemployment Insurance Acts until the age of 16, and there has in consequence been a gap of two years. This has meant that the majority of boys and girls on passing out of schools have for two years also passed out of the range of supervision and guidance, provided by organisations specially set up to give them advice and assistance during the early years of their industrial life. After September 3 practically all juveniles of fourteen years and over who are working for an employer will be insurable, unless they aro employed in agriculture or domestic service in private houses or aro apprentices receiving no wages. Th Unemployment Act providos for the establishment of -courses of instruction, for unemployed boys and girls' between the school-leaving age and 18 years of age. For the first time a statutory obligation is imposed on tho education authorities to provide such courses, and for the first time tho Labour Minister is empowered to require attendance at a course of instruction of any unemployed boy or girl of this age. Attendance at a course Of instruction will bo enforced in the same way as attendance at school. The object of tho courses of instruction is to prevent tho demoralisation which so soon threatens boys and girls when they have nothing to occupy their hands or minds.