Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-24

defense, OF which Samuel GomperS is
chairman, authorizes the following.
The grave situation of shortage of
labor lit now being estimated that
there is shortage of 250,O00 skilled
workers) is being met by a new quick
method of training operatives. All
over the country, day by day, one fac
tory after another falls into line and
puts in a training department to train
its own people-the same sort of quick,
intensive training plan to meet the
same sort of situation which the reg
ulations in France prescribe for every
manufacturer employing 300 people or
more, and the English ministry of mu-
nitions requires in its contracts for
materials. And the situation must be
met in greater degree and substan-
tally all factories must train their
workers if the 100000 new skilled
workers which the country needs by
January / are skilled and efficient and
standing at their job by that time.
Proved by the Factories.
Today 100 important factories max
ing war orders are proving that it is
possible to train their own men, They
do not assume to teach a worker a
whole trade in the brief time avail
able. They do teach him by the meth
ods of the training department how
to master one process or one machine
in few weeks or a few days. These
100 factories are spending, or prepar-
ing to spend, at the rate of 81 SOC. 900
solely in this business of intensive
training of new workers. This train
ing investment is not an expense, as
the training is Immediately upon pro-
duction and the product from the
training room is expected to equal
that in the factory. All the training
departments mentioned are on a pro-
duction basis at all times, with speed
and accuracy as the watchword-
Declaration of Policy.
One year ago that section of the
committee on labor Of the council Of
national defense which has been in
strumental in developing the training
department or vestibule schools above
noted recorded the following as its
declaration of policy:
1.-THE section on industrial training
for the war emergency is concerned
with industrial training only as war
measure. 1t is not concerned with
vocational education in general In all
cases in the existing crisis shortage Of
labor must be met first by training
unemployed and by advancing opera
tives of ability from lower to higher
positions in the occupation itself. For
instance, apprentices should be ad-
vanced rather than outsiders. 1t IS
possible that many sewing women viii
| be without work. and many men IN
the building trades. For all such, new
and fitting places must be developed
where possible. Non-wage earners
must not be trained to take places
for which unemployed wage earners
may reasonably be trained"
At the same time the section on IN
dustrial training stated the following
TO be its plan and scope:
1. Increased use of the public vo-
cational schools thru the cooperation
of local manufacturers. This is being
done very fortunately in Worcester,
Bridgeport and some other cities ,
.. Introduce new workers, men and
women, into industry thru these
schools.
3. Arrange for the training of
present mechanics and others in exist
ing work rooms in connection with
regular production, and by more SCI
entific procedure than heretofore.
4. As of particular Importance, act
as a clearing house, that the judgment
and experience, good and bad, in each
locality may be available to all.
The section on industrial training,
part of the welfare division of the
committee on labor, is composed of
one-third representatives of labor, one
third employers and one-third experts
in factory training. State committees
similarly organized have been devel-
oped where war products are being
rr~l- .,t MI n :
sociate branch committees of the sec
ton on industrial training, which are
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Eng
land, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
PENNSYLVANIA and Wisconsin.
Keeping Check on Training.
The section recommends three
checks on the factory training depart
ment, TO be made daily by report:
/. How many operatives are sent
into the factory? OF this were the
only test. they might be sent in too
fast and only partly trained.)
=. Cost. net, after crediting pro-
duction which should equal the shop
average.
3. Wastage. There should be none.
There should be 100 per cent govern
ment inspection.
These training departments, because
Of the thoro training given, have
yielded from 10 to 40 per cent in.
crease in production, both for men and
women, and the labor turnover has
been reduced materially thereby.
Great care has been taken to advo-
cate that unemployed men be adapted
and trained in new trades for the pc.
riod Of the war and that unskilled
men be educated wherever possible
before resorting to the employment
of women.
Possibilities of Development.
As an indication Of the possibilities