Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-08-29
APPRENTICE TRAINING
Your Insurance Against Future
Trouble.
By EVERETT VI. HILER


Apprentice training for the prln.-
/ ing trade is beyond the experimental
stage. It is a proved investment.
Far-seeing employers who have taken
the initial step in this work are al
ready beginning to reap the reward
/ and they will continue to do 30
/ through the years. They enjoy
continually increasing degree of
| security which sooner or later will be
more thoroughly appreciated by their
| brethren who are at present less
/ provident.
Thorough and competent apprentice
| training makes for more intelligent
workmanship, which in turn improves
the quality and increases the quantity
of the product, thereby reducing pro-
duction costs.
An intelligent apprentice or jour
neyman is a better-satisfied employee,
because, having some confidence in
his training and ability, he does not
feel the need to go shopping around"
for different experience. The prevail
ence of such self-confidence tends 10
reduce the amount of labor turnover,
thereby lessening the cost and disad-
vantages attending it.
There is a general demand for COM
petent, skilled men to fill executive
positions in the printing industry,
and the contemporaries group Is
the logical source from which to draw
these men. Signs of the ability to
lead and direct others should be noted
and every effort made to develop
such qualities. This should be
mart of thu fFainipn crbarpa
superintendent, foremen, produc-
ton department heads, layout men
and typographefs, drawn from the
ranks whenever the proper ability is
recognized, usually prove far super
Tor to the imported" variety. For
the latter, no matter what their quail
fications, must first familiarize them
selves with the problems peculiar to
your plant, and win the confidence and
loyalty of the men under their super
vision.
The method adopted in the training
of apprentices is as important as the
end in view. A large plant can well
afford its own training department.
Under this arrangement boys with
two or more years of high school edu-
cation show an astonishing degree of
advancement within the short period
of one year. In one plant where such
department Is maintained, after
year of training a group of boys re-
ceived a series of tests, in the form
of several jobs furnished by the u.
7. A. production department. In
each case, all of the jobs were finished
within the u. I. A. production time.
ttta a h., e
of work which had been produced in
the plant but of which the boys had
no previous knowledge. Their time
on these jobs was less than that
shown on the plant production
records. Finally manuscript copy was
prepared for a variety of jobs of an
advanced nature, such as catalogue
pages with cuts, magazine ad page
containing nine ads of various sizes,
composition with difficult run
arounds, a tariff page, book makeup,
etc. These jobs were laid out for
type style and sizes, set up and made
up, in each case, within a period
which would reflect credit upon the
average journeyman.
Such percentages only serve to
compel our recognition of the low
percentage of productive" now exist
ing in the industry. And marking
time in this matter of training will
only serve to let the efficiency bar
ometer drop to lower levels. Accord
ingly employing printers are respect
fully invited to consider this recon-
mendation:
If it is possible, establish train
ing department in your own plant
If that is not feasible, then engage
the cooperation of as many other EN-
ployers as yau can and arrange to
train boys in one center for the en-
tire group. Improve the personnel of
your organization, as we'll as the quail
ity and quantity of your product, by
careful initial selection of your future
journeymen and by thorough, compe-
tent training of apprentices for an
adequate period An excellent return
on your investment will be your re-
ward.