BAKING INDUSTRY IS GREATLY IN NEED OF APPRENTICES

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 May 1949, Page 6

BAKING INDUSTRY IS GREATLY IN NEED OF APPRENTICES

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— “The baking industry needs apprentices and means must be found to attract them to the trade,” said Mr J. Connon, president of the New Zealand Federation of Bakers and Pastrycooks. at the annual conference. The matter was made more urgent, continued Mr Connon, by the fact that many of the men now engaged in the industry were reaching an age at which they should retire. Mr A. E. Brownlie said that although instruction in engineering, plumbing arict woodworking was given in secondary schools, he felt courses in food processing could with advantage b'e included in the curriculum. In this way the interest of suitable boys could be aroused in the baking trade by the time they left school. Mr M. T. Bell said he felt that the Apprenticeship Committee would be sympathetic towards the suggestion. Mr I. O. Boniface instanced the work done by the William Angliss School in Melbourne in training boys along the lines suggested. He also mentioned the possioility of a course being held at Massey College. Members of the caking industry would have to see that they did not lose likely apprentices through letting them remain too long on uninteresting work, said Mr G. R Harker. It would give a boy far more incentive in the early days of his employment in the trade if he took a greater share in the actual preparation of goods, and had th e pride of seeing on sale goods he had helped to make The following resolution was passed: “So as to arouse the interest, of boys and girls with a view to th'eir ultimate employment in th e food processing trade, the conference recommends to the Apprenticeship Committee that it ask the Education authorities to incorporate in the curriculum of schools the teaching of such subjects”