AID FOR INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 143, 13 December 1940, Page 9

AID FOR INDUSTRY

AUXILIARY WORKERS SPECIAL CLASSES PRAISED The value of the training classes established at the college for auxiliary workers in industry was emphasised by the chairman of the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors (Mr. W. Appleton) at the breaking-ap ceremony last night. [ Over 50 adults were being trained at the college to help the war effort, said Mr. Appleton. Mr. Appleton said he thought that the whole idea of training young people for industry would have to be changed when the war ended. Years ago young people had to spend six or seven years in apprenticeship, and it used to be said that certain employers tried to a large number of apprentices because they represented cheap labour. In more recent years, however, the tendency had been the other way and today there was a shortage of skilled tradesmen, especially engineers. It was in an effort to overcome that shortage that the special classes had been introduced. AGE OF MACHINERY. With the developments in machinery it was unreasonable to expect young people to spend as much time as formerly at their apprenticeship. The idea would not be popular with some employers and some employees, but he thought it was unfair to keep a boy at a machine, week in and week out, for a long period when he could go out after an adequate time and earn good money.

Mr. Appleton urged a greater measure of co-ordination between the machine shop and the technical aspect, which the college provided.

Reference to the special classes was also made by the director (Mr. R. G. Ridling) in his annual report. "If parents will bear with the inconvenience to which they are put, the college will take all necessary steps to make the training adequate and keep up the supply of workers so urgently required in production units," he said. "The work of these men can be a stimulus to the young student, for it must bring realisation that the work for which he is preparing is of national importance and is fundamental to our national life."