BOYS WANTED

Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 6

BOYS WANTED

MORE GIRLS TAKING UP WORK ■ VOCATIONAL OFFICERS' REPORTS Reports from the vocational officers which 7 were submitted to the general meeting of the Dunedin Vocational Guidance Association on Thursday night stressed the shortsupply of boys for the purpose of filling available jobs. On the other hand, it was shown that there was an increasing number of girls taking up work. Mr J. L. Sahaond presided over a good attendance of mem* bers. MR CONLY’S REPORT. Mr T. Conly (vocational officer for boys)) reported that the number placed in employment for the month was 19, the smal.esb placement for some years past ; this was dua entirely to a lack of boys for jobs. Cm October 25 there were 68 vacancies on the. association’s books; these comprised a wide range of callings. Some excellent trado apprenticeships and positions in business, houses had remained unfilled, while a few unusual jobs for bovs of special abilities had offered and a few only had been satisfactorily filled. Office, shop, and warehouse work was available, said Mr Conly, wall# very few boys were coming in for that c.ast of work, due principally to their desire to complete their school year. Steps had been taken to organise parties of boys to undertake 'country work during, the school vacations, and it was expected that, granted a favourable season, a considerable number of boys would be sent to orchards, but it was unlikely that ail boys seeking wool-shed work would be placed, as these juniors would not be availab.* until the third week in December. By the courtesy of Government officers m other centres, Mr Conly continued, arrangements were made whereby engineering apprentices from this district who were in military, camps in the north, might sit examinations in Christchurch or Wellington. Most of these young men were originally sponsored placements by the association, and m some cases had invested _ a good deal of evening time in preparation- for examinations, which would have- been a loss t» have missed. . ' MISS VIAL’S REPORT. Miss L. Vial (vocational officer for girls) 7 reported that placement had been very satisfactory, if numbers were to be the chief consideration. During October 34 girl* had been placed into various types of employment, but this was not the total number going into work by any means, as it was Known that numbers had left Schools, t primary and secondary, to take up work. Girls were being absorbed rapidly into employment; so rapidly that there must ba some fear for the future, and already it was obvious that grave problems were being created which would have to be met later. - Too many had gone into employment halftrained, particularly in office work. Here, Miss Vial was not speaking of the placements of the Vocational Guidance Association. These, it was expected, would prove, to' be the satisfactory cases. In many casea at present girls were going into employment at too early an age, so that they were unfit to accept added responsibility as their wage* increased automatically each half-year. Today, girls could not be kept as juniors for any length of time. Experience had shown that employers recognised this and asked for their junior labour at an age of 16 to 17 years, but that parents and others not directly concerned with employment did not recognise the fact. The age groups of thoso going into employment from this association for the month of October were as follows:—14 to IS years, nil; 15 to 16 years, 4; 16 to 17 years, 14; 17 to 18 years, 6; 18 to 19 years, 2; 19 to 20 years, 4; 20 and over, 4; total, 34. There were, for example, cases, known of girls of 14 years and less going into offices. It was impossible for any girl of that age to have either the general education or the training necessary, and thesa 'girls could not, except in exceptional cases, go on to accept senior work arid responsibility. A large part of the time devoted to vocational guidance work during October, said Miss Vial, had been spent in visiting schools and talking simply and directly to girls in Standard VI. and those nearing the age of 14 years in Standard V., so that they would be alive to the danger of lightly accepting work for which they were not suited and not prepared in any way. In these uncertain times it was necessary to take more cars so far as young people were concerned. There were still older people available to help so far as the production of the country was concerned, and it was for the association to see that there would be the right kind of girl available .to tackle th« work of the country in a few years’ time.