CAREERS FOR BOYS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 7 October 1926, Page 7

CAREERS FOR BOYS.

central board of advice. By Telegraph;—Press Association AUCKLAND, October -5. A suggestion to institute a central Board in each main centre to advise pai ents as to tho choice of careers for their boys, was Warmly supjiuiu.ii u.v Mr Justice Frazer in the Arbitiution Court, as a solution of the difficulty created by the overcrowding of certain trades, and the dearth of apprentices in others. The suggestion arose in the course of discussion on applications by several electrical firms and the Auckland Master Plumbers’ Association. The applications were for Amendments to the apprenticeship orders in the electrical and plumbing and gas'ltting trades respectively. They sought to increase the district proportion, of 'apprentices to journeymen. There were also appeals lodged by individual employers in both trades. “The primary schools educate hoys m tho groundwork of clerical work.” uldcd Mr S. E. Wright for the employers, in discussing the apurenticeship question generally. “They do not, preoar© boys for trades. We claim that n boy who enters a trade has ft better chance than a bov who just takes up clerical work. We do not say HI clerical work is unskilled, but there arc instances.” His Honor: The clerk who i' not qualified in any direction is no donht, tho unskilled worker of the clerical world. Borne qualify in study of accountancy or law or similar subject.', and other men are shnnlv “penpnshors.” They aro unskilled workers of the white collar brigade. It is quite fair to make that comparison. Mv Wright: In my opinion everv hoy desirous of entering a trade should be given an opportunity to become a better citizen from the training he gets as an apprentice, and will he a far better man than a man who has Ho trade. , , Mr A 1,. Mnotei'h (mnnWeeV representative on the Court) : You expect nnrents to be asked to let boys waste five veers learning a trade in which lint rr ' , t' OHTllnvm^tr Mr Wright: “It is better than wasting them on unskilled work. Mr Monteith: What would yon do with tho surplus hoys? Air Wri-H : Tt, is a d'ff'eult problem. What would you suggest? Air Monteith: It seems to ho a case of deciding where their services are most i)ANNKVIRKE, October 6. The discussion in the Arbitration Court at Auckland yesterdav. during which a suggestion was made that, a Central Board should he established in each main centre to advise parents in the choice of careers for the bovs, was brought under the notice of the Minister of Education. The Minister said lie had rend +>’B report and was verv much 'truck with Uv* siircrostion. H-e considered scttjpihinff of flip VMid nocessarv. owini? to tile difficulties which naroirb were encountering m placing hoys in remunerative pursuits. He intimated that the Education Department woo'd ho pleased to co-operate in any way possible if a scheme on the hne3 suggested were evolved.