WAR INDUSTRIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20507, 18 March 1941, Page 4

WAR INDUSTRIES

PROGRESS OF TRAINING AUXILIARY WORKERS “An important stage has been reached in the development of emergency training courses established under the auxiliary workers training regulations. 1941, with the entering into industry of several men from the Wellington training course in the engineering industry,” said the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in an interview in Christchurch. “Seven auxiliary workers have been placed with Wellington firms engaged upon the production Of equipment essential to the war effort. Requests for a further 27 men have been lodged by Wellington firms, and men will shortly be released from the training centre to fill these vacancies. It is contemplated that the whole of the Wellington group, comprising 40 machinists and 15 welders, will be drafted into industry by the end of March.

“Auxiliary workers already placed have been engaged as either welders or second-class machinists at the award rate of 2s 7Jd hourly, plus 5 per cent,” said the Minister. “Forty further men for the engineering industry have commenced a course of training at the Christchurch Technical College and the branch college at Papanui. An additional 45 men in Auckland have been selected for a similar course, and it is anticipated that they will commence training this month. "Schemes are also in hand for training auxiliary workers for the footwear industry,” said the Minister. “Twelve are to be selected to commence a course as clickers in Christchurch, and a further 12 will be selected in Wellington. It has also been decided to establish a footwear trade school in Auckland. It is anticipated that a minimum of 60 male and 60 female operatives could be trained in the school annually.”