FUTURE TRAINING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 643, 22 December 1932, Page 13

FUTURE TRAINING.

Unemployment Among Apprentices. CONTINUATION CLASSES. (Special to the “ Star.*’) WELLINGTON, December 21. A suggestion that boys unable to find openings as apprentices should continue training in technical school work or continuation classes is made in the report on juvenile unemployment presented to Cabinet by the investigating committee, composed of Messrs A. E. Ansell and S. G. Smith, M.P.’s. In dealing with the possibility of providing employment in the towns, the committee sets out at length the law covering, apprenticeship and the history of its administration. Employers, under the severe economic conditions, have found the apprenticeship system an increasing difficulty which has led to a great diminution in the numbers employed. “An especially distressing feature of the problem,” states the committee, "is the large number of apprentices who have uncompleted periods of apprenticeship contracts and who are now unemployed for the reasons either that there is no work or training in the shops or factories where 'they were employed, or their employers, either individuals or firms, have gone out of business on account of the general trade depression.” It is pointed out that unless a remedy is found a most serious condition will arise when trade becomes normal and the demand for skilled men increases, because skilled men will then have to be imported and pur own,...boys will become the unskilled workers. “The normal solution is work,” states the report, ‘‘but if there is none available a substitute must be found. It is therefore of the utmost importance that local organisations shall make such arrangements with technical school authorities in the various centres as will assist in overcoming this difficulty by providing facilities for vocational training. As the training provided in our technical schools has proved to be efficient, we have no hesitation in recommending that, provided a pupil shows a satisfactory' degree of proficiency, the ‘time spent at' such schools or continuation classes shall be deemed to be a portion of his apprenticeship period, e.g., two years’ training shall count as one year of apprenticeship.” The committee also stresses the importance of physical, sdcial and intellectual activities, and urges on local organisations the desirability of including in their programme of activities for unemployed boys a eburse of physical training. Attention is directed to a remedy suggested by Dr. C. E. Beeby, of Canterbury College, “a twin probationer scheme.” •>,-