THE YOUNG WORKER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25964, 3 October 1945, Page 6

THE YOUNG WORKER

TRAINING IN BRITAIN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SCHEMES Now busy incorporating six years’ intensive war-time research and development into peace-time manufacturing processes, industry throughout Britain to-day demands from its workers a far higher standard of skill and knoweldge than ever before. To meet the situation, both the Government and individual industries have already set up comprehensive nation-wide organisations to train the huge body of experts which will be needed in every branch of production. The Government’s outstanding contribution has been the organisation throughout Britain of technical training schools covering every aspect of industrial life for men and women leaving the forces. But perhaps the most interesting feature of industrial training is the part played by private firms. These firms range from engineering, textiles, and aircraft to pharmaceutics and the distributive trades. Theory and Practical Work

In the aircraft industry, under a standardised training scheme evolved by some British aircraft constructors, promising boys are given full opportunity of advancement. The scheme at present provides for training 200 boys yearly. After six months’ practical work at the schools, the pupil passes through all the engineering departments of the works. Arrangements are also made for daytime attendance at the local technical schools. A typical scheme in the pharmaceutical field aims at eliminating “ dead-end " jobs. Students who can study for the highest professional qualifications, spend their time between the laboratories of their firms and the university. Heavy industries are well represented. The United Steel Corporation at Sheffield has an industrial scheme under which thousands of ex-service-men who have shown ability and leadership in the forces are given a year’s training for administrative and executive jobs. A famous iron works which h&s been running training courses since 1918 recently inaugurated a scheme for special apprenticeships giving these employees a chance to qualify for a university engineering degree.

Can Study for Highest Jobs

The apprentices employed by S. Smith and Son, a large firm of engineers, are able to study for highest qualifications in the firm’s technical schools under the direction of an eminent industrial educationist. The school also caters for “ non-productive ” personnel. Automobile firms are also playing a prominent part in such training plans. Ex-workers of the Nuffield organisation are “ going back to school with pay in various motor works.” Boys entering the Vauxhall Motors firm employ can take a three-year course equally divided between college and workshops. All fees are paid by the company. There are also departmental training courses for those in the accounts, supply, or export departments. These are only a few random examples of the training schemes now being operated by firms in every part of the United Kingdom. All have one common objective: to equip Britain’s peace industries with skilled operatives second to none in the world.