FEWER APPRENTICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 100, 29 April 1937, Page 7

FEWER APPRENTICES

ACUTE SHORTAGE LIKELY

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

' The possibility of an acute shortage of apprentices in the next few years was indicated by Mr. H. E. Moston, the assistant secretary of the Labour Department, in an interview with the Christchurch "Press" on Tuesday when discussing the Department's special provisions for encoiaaging the training of youths. Mr. Moston said that in normal conditions, such as those which existed in 1923 for instance, there were 10,500 apprentices in trades in New Zealand, with an additional 2000 coming forward every year to take the place of those who were finished with their apprenticeship. ■ But the number had ■ ndvv been reduced to a total of 3000. Many of those boys were in their last yearV Mr. Moston claimed that the figures showed the great necessity for the increase in the number of apprentices under training. Otherwise, he said, the position in two years would become acute. Explaining the special provisions for apprentices, Mr. Moston said that by a special amendment to legislation last session the Minister of Labour was given power to approve contracts for apprentices for youths of more than 18 years of age. A The object was to give a chance of getting into a useful occupation to young men who during the depression were unable to do so. Under this arrangement a youth of 19 could be apprenticed for a short period, say 3£ to 4 years, at a slightly higher rate of wages than ordinarily applied. . Already the Minister had approved of more than 100 such apprenticeships and these, in most instances, had also received the approval of the apprenticeship committees, although the final decision rested with the Minister. Many trades were in need of skilled men, Mr. Moston said, and this scheme was one way of helping to supply the need. It was unlikely that the Minister would approve of such apprenticeship contracts, however, where the employer had his full quota of apprentices.