VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

Evening Star, Issue 20672, 20 December 1930, Page 2

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

MEETING OF COMMITTEE * A meeting of the VocationalGuidance Committee was held ou Thursday iu the Y.M.C.A. Mr J- L.’ Salmond (president of the V.M.C.A.), presiding, • and others present were Messrs J. 11. Fairbairn (Chamber of Commerce), B. Duncan , ' (Manufacturers’ Associatiori), J. H. Wilkin-, _ son (Education Board of Otago), W. G,Baird (King Edward Technical College Managers), F. Jones (Workers’ Educational Association), W. Currie (Labour Department), S. Hill (Otago Labo’ur, Council), Airs S. 11. Park (Otago HigltSchool Board of Governors), Miss L,i' Sullivan (Otago Branch N.Z.E.1.), Miss;, M. R. Sherriff (National Council ,ofi Women, Dunedin, Branch), Mr Wallace (Y.M.C.A.). A letter was received from Miss M. Mackenzie (National Council of Women) tendering- her ;• resignation "ns 1 recording' secretary; s Miss Mackenzie has beten reluctantly obliged ,to withdraw; from, the. movement for a time, on account of ill health. The-com-mittee accepted ,her resignation- with deep regret, - and moved that- a- letter? of appreciation be sent to her for the valuable service, rendered to the. ■movement. '*■ ’ A report was -submitted by Mr. Wi Currie on , * The ■ Labour Department' and Vocational Guidance.’ This report covered practically every point in connection witlm-the movement, giving valuable information, and at the stand time solving some of the problems confronting the committee. -A lengthy discussion followed on' many of 'the difficulties to be surmounted before tbsi committee could actually operate. In. this connection Mr with his wide knowledge and 'experience, was able to offer many practical suggestions. ’ 1 In view ,qf -the fact that . approximately 500 'to 1 600 boys' aiid girls ift Dunedin would bo leaving school this year, the committee felt; that its iin- ■ mediate principal duty was to place these in workr- Owing' to the existing economic circumstances the 'city industries could 1 riot possibly absorb this number this yerfr.' The feeling was ex* pressed that dk large .numbers of boys could not be; placed .in billets. iri .t’ia city, it might, be possible to devise some scheme whereby boys could be placed in th© rather than that! they should remain idle and probably develop laziness and general deterioration or character. A small committee was set up to go into this matter with representatives -of th© farming community, and to "report to next meeting" of the committee. ' '