NEEDS OF INDUSTRY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21385, 21 April 1944, Page 4

NEEDS OF INDUSTRY

TRAINING APPRENTICES EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES commissioiLYo report (P.A.) ■ WELLINGTON, April 21. The Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, yesterday announced the appointment of a commission to investigate the existing educational facilities of both a provocaliorial and vocational character, to report on the changes necessary to meet the present and future needs of industry so far as they can be foreseen, to examine the existing legislation bearing upon apprenticeships, and to make recommendations as to changes in such legislation or as to new legislation which might be necessary to enable reforms recommended by the commission to be carried into effect. The personnel is as follows:—Chairman, Judge Tindall, and also Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, secretary of the New Zealand Federated Builders and Contractors’ Industrial Association of Employers and secretary of the Wellington Employers’ Association, Mr. C. R. Edmond, secretary of th New Zealand Retail Motor Trade, Industrial Union of Employers. Mr. F. Fowler, general manager of the Auto-Machine manufacturing Company (Auckland), Mr. F. D. Cornwell, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr. R. Stanley, secretary of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union, Mr.. A, Gilbert, president of the Northern Amalgamated Engineering and Related Trades’ Union, Mr. R. G. Riffling, director of the Wellington Technical College, Mr. H. E. Mostori, secretary of Labour and chief inspector of factories, Dr. C. E. Beeby, director of education, Wellington, Mr. F. C. Renyard, superintendent of technical education, Wellington, and Mr. E. B. Taylor, registrar of apprentices. Reorganisation of Training' The Minister stated that the investigations intended to envisage the reorganising - of trade-training facilities and adapting them to post-war requirements. For instance, many changes were taking place in the methods of trade training. With the introduction of highly - developed machine tools and mass production, industries had not had the same traditions or the same type of worker to give instruction under the same iavourable conditions for detailing the training of workers as the small craftsman's shop. It was fairly safe to say that many of the apprentices in New Zealand today did not receive the supervision and instruction in the workshop necessary to qualify them as competent tradesmen. This was not always due to lack of supervision as facilities for all-round training were not available in all workshops and consequently there was a distinct conflict of opinion regarding the relative advantage of apprenticeship in workshops and training in technical or vocational sfchools. “The task which has been taken up by the commission is a highly-impor-tant one and the order of reference is wide enough to enable a full investigation to be made .into the problems and vocational training,” continued the Minister. “It has to be remembered that the rapid changes in economic conditions, particularly as brought about by the war, have resulted in. new problems. It is my opinion that the nation which has tliL best means of training individuals as workers and as citizens is best prepared for winning in , the industrial field and everything should be done to accomplis'h this end.