NEW SET-UP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 25 May 1945, Page 4

NEW SET-UP

EMPLOYMENT DIVISION WORK FOR EX-SERVICEMEN Wellington, May 24. To speed up the placement of exservicemen in occupations suitable to their requirements and which they may desire to follow, a servicemen’s employment division is being set up in the National Service Department, to commence duties on Ist June. The Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr Skinner) said to-day that under the new arrangement which had been agreed upon by the Minister of National Service (Mr McLagan), his Department would act as the agent of the Rehabilitation Board in the placement of all ex-seryicemen seeking employment in industry and wishing to take advantage of the facilities offering. ,In future the two Departments would divide employment functions. The Rehabilitation Department’s responsibility to provide employment would now extend up to the point where the ex-serviceman or woman was fit from a health or efficiency point of view to enter industry, and if he or she so wished the next link in the chain of assistance would be provided by the National Service Department. USING EXISTING MACHINERY "The position is that we have the men to be placed and the National Service Department has the machinery to place them,” said Mr Skinner. “We are now just using our joint facilities to carry out more speedily and efficiently this very important task in rehabilitation—the finding of suitable employment for our men and women of the forces when their service obligations have ceased. It is a task that the National Service Department with the contacts it has at its disposal and the experience it has gained dVer the war years is well fitted to carry out. The arrangement should be of great benefit to ex-servicemen and women, since they will be able to take advantage of the wide range of positions which the National Service Department has to offer. At present this Department has notifications of vacancies in industry for more than 6000 men and almost 5000 women.” Adding that before the war the employment division of the Labour Department had as its main duty the placing of people seeking employment, Mr Skinner sgjd that the employment division formed the nucleus of the

National Service Department when that department was created to meet war conditions. The trend now was to revert to the original duties of the old employment division, looking forward tc the time when they would be an even more distinct easing off and later the elimination of the wartime policy of direction. FARM SETTLEMENT INDEPENDENT Dealing with farm training and settlement, the Minister said that the Rehabilitation Board’s present system would continue to operate, independently and without reference to the National Service Department, except in cases of men who were directable. The same would apply to the board’s educational training procedure. Mr Skinner explained that the new set-up provided for a servicemen’s division being established at the head office of the National Service Department, and in every branch considered large enough to warrant it, while in smaller branch offices one officer would assume responsibility for servicemen’s placement work. As far as possible the staffs of the new employment organisation would consist of returned servicemen. There, would, be throughout a close liaison with the work of rehabilitation officers. . Where difficulty was met in placing a serviceman, his case might be farther considered by a special -subcommittee comprising a member of the local rehabilitation committee as chairman, the district officer of the National Service Department, and the Rehabilitation Officer. MEN SUBJECT TO DIRECTION "In the case of men who are subject to direction, the Rehabilitation Department has usually no immediate action to take,” continued the Minister. "Where, however, it may be considering the grant of some form of assistance bearing .on the employment of a serviceman, the two Departments will act in conjunction. Though guided primarily in such cases by national needs, the National Service Department will in its direction policy pay all feasible regard to the long-term rehabilitation interests of directable ex-servicemen.”