VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 7

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Vocational Guidance Association' was held last evening at the Automobile Association's club rooms, the president (Mr J. L. Salmond) occupying the chair. There was a good .attendance of members. ANNUAL REPORT.

The adoption of the annual report and balance sheet was moved by the chairman, who said that the year had been one of steady progress in the service of the community. The objects of the' association were understood and appreciated to a much greater extent now than previously, not only by young people seeking positions an J advice, but also by parents and employers. It was also satisfactory and encouraging to note that the Government was takinz an increasing interest in the association's affairs, and Had recognised the useful work being done by its practical support, without which it would be difficult to carry on. The fact that the Director of Education, before his departure on a visit (o Britain and United States of America, called a conference of' vocational guidance officers of the four chief centres to discuss with him th e future development of vocational guidance in this country seemed to indicate that this youth movement would before long have to be taken under the wing of the Education Department, and not classed as an unemployment problem, under the control of the Unemployment Board. They hoped that this would come about as a natural ami logical continuation of the system of compulsory education existing in the Dominion.

The placing of 1009 young people in positions, only after most careful inquiry as to the suitability of the boy or the girl for the position, had involved a tremendous amount of hard work arid wise judgment on the part of Mr Conly. The placing of boys over 18 years still gave much concern, and there were also some crippled boys on the register who gave them much anxious thought. They were hopeful, however, that the newly-formed Crippled Children Society would before long be able to help solve this problem and enable these young people to occupy positions of usefulness and trust in tiie community.

The Records Committee's report was valuable, and they were now able to state with authority, and definiteness, the destination of every boy and girl leaving the city primary schools each year. Those who were continuing their education along the lines of some definite vocational training, had a much better chance of obtaining employment than those who had been content with the usual cultural secondary school course. Employers naturally preferred to employ beginners, who would be of immediate use to them because of some skill already acquired. It had been said that the young people were leaving the schools woefully ignorant of the vafit number and variety of occupations which were open to them. Although the question of vocational training might be said to be outside the province of the association's objects and activities, it inevertheless played an important part in the success or failure of the operations. Vocational training would before long take a much more important position in the secondary schools. Everything pointed to the fact that schooldays would have to be lengthened and that more leisure would be given to workers. Both of these changing conditions would Be required to bo met by the schools, so that the young people would be able to enjoy and. make good use of leisure and be skilled in the performance of a vocation. The speaker concluded by referring to the apprenticeship legislation, which he described as chaotic, and expressed the opinion that something would have to be done to assist young people to take a greater interest in their work. Mr F. W. Mitchell seconded the motion, and said that few of those present had expected that after only four years of existence the organisation would be able to place over 1000 people in work in the course of a year, particularly in view of the trying years that had been experienced. Such a record was a triumph for Mr Conly. Speaking of juvenile labour legislation, Mr Mitchell said that the problem of apprenticeship was a burning one. The authorities were now taking a special interest in the matter, however, and employers and the Government woulti shortly engage in negotiations which it was hoped would end in the finding of a solution for the problem. Mr J, R. Fairbairn, treasurer, said that expenses had been kept to a minimum, but the association would be faced with additional expenditure in the future. It was a significant fact that practically the whole of the association's income had come from the business community, which appreciated the value of the work which was being done. He also referred to the assistance which had been forthcoming from the Government, which, he said, had always been, behind the association. It was recognised by the Government that the work had been done better by the association than it,could have been by a Government department. The motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: —President, Mr J. L. Salmond; vice-presidents—Messrs F. W. Mitchell, J. Hogg, and J. R. Fairbairn; treasurer, Air J. R. Fairbairn; secretary, Mr H. J. Lousley; auditor, Mr H. P. West. OFFICER'S REPORT. A general outline of the work done during the year and the conclusions he had reached as a result of his experiences was given by the vocational guidance officer (Mr T. Conly). AN EXPERT'S VIEWS An interesting address on vocational guidance) was given by Dr C. E. Beeby, chief executive officer of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Dr Bccby commenced with a criticism of the haphazard methods by which so many people decided the major things of life. The chief functions of such an organisation as this, he said, appeared to him to bo getting jobs for hoys, assisting in the selection of suitable jobs, and providing someone to represent the young people in the community. There was a very real need for this last function, for there existed a gap between the school and industry. The Apprenticeship Act was, as the chairman had said, chaotic. The reasons were important. The first was that while in other parts of the world the technical schools taught trades, the New Zealand system did rot, as it was a cultural educational system rather than an industrial one. This resulted in overlapping between the technical school and the high school, :md there was a gap between the technical school and industry which had to be filled. The second reason was the size of the New Zealand industries. In enormous organisations, such as the Ford works, it was possible to adequate training facilities. Henry Ford had two training schools, one for practical work and one to cope witii the applied academic side. Large firms in England also employed men who did nothing but train young people for jobs,

and in some places the work was undertaken by the trade unions. They found that the backwardness in this direction here was due to special difficulties, and they would have to adopt special methods to overcome those difficulties. He thought that they would probably have to introduce some sort of group apprentice ship scheme. He had heard employers say that it was not their job to train apprentices, and some looked upon the apprenticeship system as a means of getting cheap labour. It was also his experience to have found trade unions that did not want to see young- people trained for fear of the consequences to the workers who might be pushed out. If none of these would take up the work of training, they would have to find someone else to do it. Teachers, on the whole, had not the necessary experience of industrial affairs, and the work could be done only by those with that experience. He had a scheme —he admitted it had its faults—which he thought would do much to solve the problem. He called it a "twin probationer scheme.'' Under it, two boys would be engaged by an employer, and each would work for a fortnight and spend the other fortnight at school. From the economic point of view it served the purpose, and he considered that from the educational point of view the scheme was all right. Each boy would be paid only for the time he worked, and each would be "eased"' into the industrial system, not catapulted from one sphere to the other. Some business men had agreed with his scheme, and others had objected to training two boys where one would do. Industry, however, had to realise that it had a duty to do in connection • with some things which would not immediately result in increased dividends. Dr Beeby went on to deal with the work of educational research, and concluded with some general observations on the extent of the problems to be dealt with. After the lecture, Dr Beeby answered some questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks.