A TRAINED RESERVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1938, Page 26

A TRAINED RESERVE

GROUND ENGINEERS

ONE HUNDRED A YEAR

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, October 12.

That, certain preliminary arrangements had been made by the Air Department with the Railway Department for the establishment of schools of technical training at railway workshop centres with the object of building up a reserve of trained technical personnel available for service in the Air Force in time of war**!, was a statemen issued tonight by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones.

"It is proposed to take advantage of the facilities offered by the Railway Department, which already has an excellent scheme of apprenticeship training in operation at the four main workshop centres," the statement said. "Moreover, as these workshops comprise the largest and best : equipped general engineering establishments in the Dominion and employ a great number and variety of tradesmen the location of the schools in these centres provides a most practical and efficient means of building up such a reserve. I have the assurance of tne Minister of Railways that his Department will co-operate to the fullest possible extent in the development of this scheme which is of such national importance."

Steps would be taken as soon as possible to construct suitable buildings at the- four railway workshop centres for this training, and it was probable that the first building to be erected would be at the Hutt workshops, Wellington. Tradesmen would be selected primarily from apprentices at the conclusion of their general engineering training, although entry would not necessarily be entirely limited to this class or to the railway personnel. Courses would consist of about five months' instruction on the maintenance and repair of aircraft engines and airframes, the necessary instructors and equipment being supplied by the Air Force. "The objective of the scheme," he said, "is to turn out approximately 100 young men a year trained as aircraft ground engineers who will constitute a civil reserve of trained personnel essential to meet Air Force requirements in time of war."