WORKS TECHNICIANS

Evening Star, Issue 24006, 3 October 1941, Page 7

WORKS TECHNICIANS

NEW DEVELOPMENT IN INDUSTRY BEEN DEMAND FOR BOYS WITH TRAINING “The rank! expansion of secondary industries lias caused a demand for boys of ability plus technical training to be trained in works as technicians in manufactures,” said the local vocational guidance officer (Mr T. Conly) to a ‘ Star ’ reporter to-day. Mr Conly acts ns careers teacher in tho Technical College, and lie stated that 93 boys have left the college during the present year, including numbers who have loft the city and some seniors who carried over from last year waiting for Government appointments.

There have been fewer making use of the school as a “ stop-gap ” for a few months or while waiting for employment after leaving primary school the previous year, it was stated. In common with all schools, however, it might be said that the problem has' not been to find work for pupils, but rather to keep them at school a sufficient time to qualify for the better jobs offering. Mr Ccaily emphasised that a feature of modern industrial life is the important place occupied by the works technician, a key man whose importance is generally recognised by the scale of salaries offering. Unfortunately, it has been,found that too many boys are attracted from the school to inferior jobs before they have qualified for these more remunerative positions. “Two years or even less in a technical school will make a boy very useful in a workshop or office,” said Mr Con'ly, “ and with the keen demand for junior labour a number are foregoing the greater benefit for the immediate profit.” If or boys in the trades courses apprenticeships have been _ available and are still unclaimed in building, cabinet making, and all the metal-working trades except fitting, while on the commercial side boys are being placed as soon as adequately trained.