Evening star., 1927-04-24
SKILL At PREMIUM
INAUTO INDUSTRY
FrommeIt Holds Mental and
Manual Dexterity Are
SoreIy Needed.

Both mental and manual deXterity
are at a premium in the automobiie
Industry. according 10 II. A. From
melt Of St Louis, who recently de-
rlared before a meeting Of the Society
OF Automotive Engineers that, while
these two elements always are re
iUs1ired in every endeavor. the automo'
Z hsla industry today is the most needy
members Of the industrial family.
More skilled mechanics now are re.
ouired, both relatively and absolutely,
than ever before. Within the industry
a whole army Of toolmakers, diemak-
srs and diesinkers and other skilled
. mecha MICS is necessary. The industry
requires a larger number of supervis-
orv personnel than il il were not so
highly organized for mass production.
Highly skilled men for the designing
and manufacture of special machinery
are needed, and the industry is no
toriouslv undermined in skilled per-
eonnel in the maintenance and service
end. which requires more mechanics
than the manufacturing end.
Cites Need of Training.
But the young men that are needed
NO badly are not now being trained in
the industry. Mr.. Frommelt stated
Apprenticeship is necessary for the
life and health of industry. Economic
changes wrought by the World War
the restrictive immigration policy
upon which the country has entered
and changes within industry itself are
forcing us back upon the training
he-iob' method TO produce this
skill without which we shall be bank
rupt industrial nation in personnel
sense.
Rightly considered. apprenticeship
As but a synonym for an industrial edu-
cation. 1t is merely method of help
fng the young man complete his edu-
cation, no matter when he leaves
school, and meets the young graduate,
oonducts him through industry in an
orderly, supervised way and presents
to him definite objective after Few
years of preparation and training. 1t
n supplemental to classroom training
and is intended to bridge the danger
Gus step between the period Of school
ing and that of livelihood.
An apprenticeship should be made
more of an education than a mere job
for the young man. and the curricu-
iu1n must consist of shop and school
schedules which teach the essential
eAop operations that comprise a trade
simultaneously with the elementary
and fundamental technical facts that
dovetaiI with actual shop practice.
Organized System.
In a well organized apprentice sys-
TEN all apprentices would be taken
In as machinist apprentices and at
the end of two years, depending upon
individual ability and preferences,
dome would go into toolmaking, few
into diemaking, others into. the draft
ing room or engineering department,
and at the end of the four years all
Of the less capable would become semi
skilled operators, continued the
speaker.
Some from the upper level would
be drafted for the production, time
study and engineering departments.
A few would continue on up as set-up
men, inspectors. assistant foremen
and foremen. The leadership quail
= ties necessary in foremen will inevi-
tabIy come to the surface during the
four years.
If this apprenticeship program were
sufficiently wide in scope, thorough
and fundamental mechanical trade
cosirse would be included 10 train serv'
ieA managers. Every automobile build
Sr should provide service mana gers
who are expert in the repair and adj
3ustInent of his cars. Automobiles
will be purchased in the future largely
on the basis of actual service that the
dealer renders.
Apprenticeship in the automofive
Industry is proving its necessity and