BOYS IN SKILLED TRADES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1942, Page 4

BOYS IN SKILLED TRADES

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln Tuesday's issue of the "Evening Post," Mr. Ridling, Director of Wellington Technical College, in.making a report to the Board of Governors, gives his conclusions as to why the engineering trade is now far more heavily" manned than the building trade, so far as apprentices are concerned. He states: (1) Most boys are interested in machines; (2) that parents regard the building industry as being less secure than engineering. True enough, but not so conclusive.

At present the engineering industry is to a great extent process work, where boys are paid a statutory wage, and also receive a bonus when production is above a certain standard. Hence many boys are making good wages, and advertise the fact. The natural influx to the engineering trade increases rapidly for two reasons, not mentioned by Mr. Ridling: (a) the boys desire to earn better wages and get them; (b) the parents desire to have more money enter the home through their boy. This does not obtain in the building industry as there are no monetary attractions available for the apprentice.

I am afraid there is a rude awakening coming to the apprentice ngineer when once his apprenticeship is completed, if he is relying on succeeding in his trade on the practical experience gained, while serving simply as a process worker. —I am, etc., ENGINEER.