PLACEMENT SCHEME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22512, 1 September 1936, Page 13

PLACEMENT SCHEME

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT INTIMATION BY MINISTER [by telegraph OWN correspondent] OPOTIKI, Monday A wider development of the Labour Department's placement scheme is foreshadowed in a letter received by Mr. A. G. Hultquist, M.P., from the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in reply to representations by Mr. Hultquist concerning the desirability of establishing placement offices at Opotiki and Whakatane. " It is open to any unemployed man to enrol under the placement scheme by letter," says the Minister,- " but I am pleased to say that arrangements will very shortly be completed under which every unemployed man in the Dominion will be invited to state his qualifications, etc., on a special form obtainable from any certifying officer or Labour Department office. The completed forms will at once be transmitted to the relative placement officer and the information incorporated in the general index. Thus each industriallyfit applicant will receive full consideration with others for any suitable available employment. Moreover, as each of the 22 placement offices is interlinked, a resident of Opotiki or Whakatane will be considered for placement in even the most distant part of the Dominion, provided, of course, a suitable applicant is not available in an area nearer the situation of the available position. In addition to this provision, each certifying officer is expected to keep in touch with the local employment position, and further the interests of registered men in this respect.

"In view of this information I feel sure you will appreciate that the establishment of a placement office with equipment and staff is not economically justified at Opotiki and Whakatane."

GOOD RESULTS OBTAINED DEMAND FOR SKILLED LABOUR Good results continue to be obtained by the Government Placement Office. 53 men being placed in private employment last week. Sixteen were permanent positions, 26 temporary and 1] casual. The office also provides men for local bodies and State departments, with the exception of the Railway Department. During the week it obtained work for •s'i men with local bodies and State departments, a number in this total being required for work on (he naval base. Thus with private placings a total of 104 men were absorbed. One of the anomalies of the unemployment position is that some of the skilled trades have a difficulty in securing men. The Government placement officer has vacancies in the following trades: —Iron turning, harness and horse collar making, ring (jewellery) manufacturing, wall tiling, panel beating, motor-body building, quantity surveying, saw doctoring, brass finishing, fishing-rod making, leather plaiting and oxy-acetylene welding. Farm hands are also wanted