BRITISH FIRM RUNS SCHOOL FOR FOREMEN

Grey River Argus, 28 February 1949, Page 7

BRITISH FIRM RUNS SCHOOL FOR FOREMEN

| From a Reuter Correspondent in London] Believing that the “slave-gang boss” type of foreman has no place in modern British industry, one of Britain’s leading engineering groups has opened a “School for Foremen.” The school teaches its pupils, foremen of the future, to be sympathetic to their subordinates whilst being appreciative of executive problems. The school which gives its pupils a thorough psychological understanding of their fellow workers is sponsored by Tube Investments Limited of Birmingham. A combine which has over 30 producing companies, Tube Investments Ltd., has nearly 40 works spread over the country and a payroll totalling some 30,000 employees. Executives of the combine' believe that foremen of to-day must be true leaders of men, with an aptitude for giving orders that are obeyed and a knack of persuasion and co-opera-tion. The executives decided months ago that if modern industry is to maintain its position' in world affairs it must admit that one traditional figure in its make-up, the shop foreman, was in sore need of remodelling. The executives declared the days are past when foreman with traditional bowler hat hired and fired. In these days of full employment, the old type foreman has lost some of his power. He must now make a major readjustment of his attitude to industrial envorinment and circumstance. But the combine was aware that while such a new foreman might appear here and there he would be the exception rather than the rule. It therefore set about making him. Tube Investments Ltd., let it be known among their employees that courses had been planned to help every foreman, both existing and prospective, in all their works, to a “fuller understanding of his responsibilities.” The chairman of the combine, supplemented the announcement with the coment that “good foremen have an importance in a factory almost equal to that of a good works manager, whereas a poor foreman can upset the best laid plans for production.” Many of the executives and directors of the subsidiary companies of Tube Investments Ltd., started on the shopfloor or as juniors on the clerical side. Therefore there was no need to stress the policy that every employee should have the opportunity of promotion to the limit of his ability. Even the most optimistic sponsors of the courses were surprised with the response from shopfloor and office. In a pleasant roomy Georgian manor, conviently situated near factory and home, tlie combine set up a residential training centre with the advantage which continuous personal contact provides. At this centre in Chester Road, Erdington, a residential suburb of Birmingham, foremen in parties of 15 take a fortnight’s course under a resident tutor’ assisted by members of the executive staffs of the combines companies. No foreman, or would-be foreman, is forced to take the course. He volunteers and under goes a test on group selection principles. Once selected for the course, the tutor and his qualified assistants concentrate on teaching the scientific principles of supervising the work of others, as well as providing him with a wider knowledge of the mechanics and make up of the industry. During the fortnight they spent at the school, the pupils can go home for the week-end, and have two free evenings each week. Apart from Sleeping quarters, the centre has a large dining room, common room, a library and a lecture room. The mornings are given up to classes, leci tures and lecture discussions. The afternoons are generally devoted to visiting various types of engineering factories with which the area abounds. The three official evenings are spent watching and discussing training films, and in general discussions. The success of the school for foremen has prompted the combine to institute a residential training . course tor prospective charge-hands on similar lines. This course takes 12 weeks. The first week of each fourweek period is spent at the training centre and the remaining three weeks on practical training in the workshops. Major W. F. F. Scott, who is Director of the combines welfare and training, said: “Our policy is that everyone with ability shall be given the opportunity of developing it. Favouritism counts for nothing now. It is ability that matters. In the past methods of promotion from the shop floor were hand to mouth and haphazard. All too often this resulted in the wrong man being promoted and the wrong man not being given a . chance.