Varied Opportunities Offering for Keen West Coast Youths

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1949, Page 2

Varied Opportunities Offering for Keen West Coast Youths

CHRISTCHURCH, March 23. The object of parents to ensure a security of employment for their children would be defeated at the outset if the opportunities offering were not examined more thoroughly, said Mr G. C. Brookes, district vocational guidance officer, of Christchurch. A glimpse of this growing difficulty had been seen on this side of the Southern Alps; but an official visit to the West Coast this month revealed it as a real problem there. “School children and their parents generally are giving more thought to the choice of a career. Honest consideration is being given to the interests and abilities of the children; but unless there are openings in the vocational Held preferred there may be great disappointment,” Mr Brookes said. “A pupil and his parents may develop ideas’ about a job throughout school days; but on seeking employment they may come up against the hard reality that no jobs are available.”

West Coast boys were keen to enter popular trades; and were encouraged by their parents to seek security in them. The openings in many of these fields, however, weTe very limited. There were many disappointed applicants for certain trades in Canterbury and the situation was worse on the Coast. “A. prominent employers told me that with the 30,000 inhabitants on the West Coast there were openings for only two boys a year to be apprenticed to the engineering trade,” Mr Brookes said.

The West Coast offered plenty of employment in its particular fields of mining and forestry and in the public services, shops and offices; but not many openings for apprentice tradesmen were available. Positions were available in baking, spray painting and some other trades, which the boys did not seem keen about. There were unsatisfied applicants everywhere keen to take un fitting and ' turning, electrical and radio work, and motor mechanics. A big proportion of West Coast boys desired to enter the permanent Air Force; but they had "an eye on pilot’s wings” and were not keen on the ‘trades departments of the services. Promising Teachers

School teaching and engineering were the most popular professions among West Coast boys. There weie some line prospective teachers. Generally speaking pupils were content to remain on the West Coast; but this desire might be upset by the limited opportunities in the employment they preferred, Mr Brookes said. Vocational guidance officers this month suggested that many consider other employment where openings could be found.

Mr Brookes expressed appreciation of the increased interest shown in vocational guidance on the West Coast. Requests for interviews had increased considerably on previous visit.