TRADE TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 25422, 1 March 1945, Page 8

TRADE TRAINING

CENTRE FOR EX-SERVICEMEN ] BRICKLAYING AND PLASTERING (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 27. The trade training centre established in Petone for the framing of suitable ex-servicemen in bricklaying, plastering, and tiling was opened to-day by the Minister of Rehabilitation, the Hon. C. F. Skinner. It is the first of its kind in New Zealand, and over 52 ex-servicemen are already in training. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of visitors, as well as by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, and the Director of Rehabilitation, Mr F. Baker, who presided. Mr Nash spoke of the importance of such schools in the training of artisans, without which it would be impossible for the Government to implement its housing programme and overtake the existing shortage of houses. The schools were also important in that they enabled men to be trained rapidly. Mr Skinner ■ said that he considered that the old method of training artisans was gone for ever, for it had been demonstrated that the average man could be trained to become a tradesman in a far shorter time than was previously considered necessary. The old system, which involved an apprenticeship of five years, and in some cases seven years, appeared to be a thing of the past, for the housing shortage could never be overtaken by the use of such methods. The Government could provide these training schools, but it could not make tradesmen unless the men themselves did their part and availed themselves fully of the opportunitv to become tradesmen.