H.—llb

With tho argument that technical classes improve the competence of workmen we agree. In a few trades, however, it is clear that only a Very little theory is actually possible. Even for the boys who will become routine workers there is some justification for instruction in basic principles. For example, although a fitter may never bo required to make a, drawing of a part of a machine, lie will often need to work from a blue-print. HLs understanding of that print will be sharpened if he has actually had, at some stage in learning his trade, to make drawings. Further, it is impossible to say which boys of a group beginning in a trade will be the routine workers and which will be leading hands and foremen. All should therefore begin a course in theory which, taken in conjunction with their shop work, will help to sift out the potential executives. It is obvious that it is to the advantage of both boy and employer that the boy should have a training in theory as well as in practice. We think, however, that in the long-run the community also benefits. We agree with those who advocate daylight training that study in evening classes is arduous, but we would expect daylight classes to provide for part only of the requirements of ambitious boys. All boys in a trade for which an Apprenticeship Committee decides that technical classes are necessary should be compelled to attend daylight classes, on the penalty of loss of wages for non-attendance, unsatisfactory work, or misbehaviour. There should still be evening (or Saturday morning) classes for those who wish to follow their studies further or for those who desire to obtain some knowledge of matters likely to be useful to them in other ways -e.g.; a study of book-keeping would be valuable to a boy who hopes to set up in business for himself. Overseas practice should be a useful guide to those concerned with the institution of daylight training ; it should be remembered that if New Zealand industries are to keep abreast of developments elsewhere they will need to adopt practices that have proved profitable in other countries. Individual employers have already in a few cases introduced classes of instruction for their apprentices within working-hours, and their experience should be valuable to other employers in the same or in other industries. We are of the opinion that, to the extent that industries come to adopt daylight training, the larger technical schools will have to change their character. The vocational,courses will become of greater importance than at present, and the prevooational junior courses of relatively less importance. It will probably be necessary to make room for apprentices during the daytime by transferring some of the junior pupils to other schools. It will certainly be necessary, if these changes occur, to strengthen staffs and increase the amount of equipment for advanced work. We consider that such probable changes in function should be borne in mind in the immediate future in the administration of the larger technical schools. We have on occasions been urged to recommend that continuation classes in daylight for all " young persons " —as provided for in the new English Education Act —should be instituted in New Zealand. As the proposal affects all young people and not just those entering the manual trades, we are of the opinion that it is outside the scope of our order of reference. ENTERING ON AN APPRENTICESHIP There is no doubt that the great majority of boys begin their formal apprenticeship in a most casual manner. There is something to be said for treating that entry as an event worthy of notice, and we suggest that the signing of indentures should be made the occasion of a meeting of all parties. The Deputy Commissioners of Apprenticeship could make use of the occasion to impress on the boy and his employer tho duties they have undertaken, and to supply to apprentices and their parents a leaflet giving information about the mutual obligations of the parties to the contract, technical classes, tho Apprenticeship Committee, and the major points of the relevant apprenticeship order. RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRAINING One of the strengths of apprenticeship in tho past was the close personal link between master and apprentice. With the development of limited-liability companies that link has been broken, to be replaced, as a rule, by a series of casual, almost accidental, ties between apprentices and journeymen. A company binds itself to teach the apprentice a trade, but the teaching is usually done by the foreman and workmen, who are, like the apprentice, employees of the company. We believe that responsibility for training apprentices should be more closely defined, and we therefore recommend that in every contract the title (" works-manager ", " foreman ", &c.) of the person who will undertake or supervise the actual training should be given, together with a definition of the scope of his responsibility, fart of that definition should be a brief schedule of the operations and skills to be taught to the apprentice ; those operations would constitute the trade or branch of a trade as defined by the Dominion Committee. In those trades in which apprentices are required to use machines, the schedule should include tuition in the safest methods of operation. It should be made clear that the foreman, or whoever it may be, does not incur any personal liability under the contract of apprenticeship. Provision should also be made in the contract for temporary transfer of an apprentice to another employer if it is found necessary to ensure adequate instruction in any of the operations covered by the schedule of training. One effect of this definition of responsibility should be that some fairly systematic arrangement of the apprentice's time will be made, so that he is given a reasonable period in which to learn each of the operations provided for in the schedule of training. Certain employers already follow some such routine, flexible enough to allow of changes to meet the requirements of their businesses. A corollary to the proposal that training should be systematized is that apprentices should be required to keep brief records of the work they do. Apart from its usefulness as a means of cheeking the amount of training given, the arrangement, we think, would have a positive effect on the apprentices themselves, in that they would thereby share in the responsibility for the observance of the prescribed routine.

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