TREND BY YOUTH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22617, 21 April 1948, Page 7

TREND BY YOUTH

MOTORS POPULAR LEARNING A TRADE FUTURE FOR OTHERS “Motor engineering as a trade lias held its position head and shoulders above other apprentice trades, and Gisborne is unusual in that respect,” said Mr. H. C. McQueen, New Zealand commissioner for apprenticeship, Wellington, before leaving Gisborne for Whakatane yesterday. Ho understood that that position pertained because of the nature of the district, a wide area making extensive use of motor transport and of necessity self-contained . Meeting the representatives of the seven local apprenticeship committees in Gisborne last night, Mr, McQueen addressed the gathering and supplied the answers to a number of questions. He paid a tribute to the committees, consisting of three workers, three employers each, with a technical advisor and district officer as chairman, for the vast amount of voluntary work they wore doing for the benefit of apprentices. Apprentice Protection The first task of the committees was to consent to any application for the engagement of an apprentice, prime consideration being given to the facilities of the employer desiring to engage labour to ensure that the apprentice was well placed in a position to learn all divisions of his trade. That was a protection for the apprentice, and the appropriate local committee saw to it that the apprentices were not improperly employed as apprentices. Sometimes parents were not aware of the operation of the local committees. Mr. McQueen said, and it was as well for them to ascertain if the employer had obtained the consent of the appropriate apprenticeship committee. For the year ending March 31, 1948, Mr, McQueen said there were approximately 13,000 apprentices in New Zealand and of that number 227 were in Gisborne and the district from Te Araroa to Wairoa, inclusive. There was an intake of 34 new boys into apprenticeship trades in six months and 58 for the year. “The most popular trade in this district is the motor trade, with 74 apprentices, 12 new boys having started in the past six months,” he said. “Then there is a big drop to the carpentry trade, which has 27 apprentices and attracted only one new boy in the past six months.” The electrical trade had 22 apprentices and one new boy, plumbing 18 and two, furniture 17, engineering and coach-building. 16 apiece, and painting 11. Trades With Future In the number of apprentices employed Gisborne was better placed than other districts in regard to the saddlery trade. It was not a dying trade as many thought and many of the established tradesmen were old in years. There were three saddlery apprentices in Gisborne and one had started in the past six months. Another trade with a future for boys with a fancy for the work was that of the farrier or blacksmith. The district would always require those tradesmen, and it would be quite a good career for likely, boys. “It appears that many of the boys these days are not being attracted by the big money of other work, but are desirous rather of learning a trade,” he said. “The trades were getting a good share of the available boys, bearing in mind that they were now drawing on the 1932-33 births, a period with a small birth rate.” “There is in Gisborne excellent cooperation between the apprenticeship committees, labour department and the school,” commented Mr. McQueen, adding that that was not always the case. He drew attention to the fact that there were now lodging allowances available for apprentices who were obliged to leave home to learn their trades. They received a maximum of 25s a week from the State for that purpose while on the minimum pay of 33s and the lodging allowance diminished with wage increments.