Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
INDUSTRY TRAINING
MANY U. S. YOUTHS
Vocational Education Being
Put to Good Use
by Youngsters.
BY JOHN =. SINCLAIR.

who enter business before they have
| gone very far in school
In this field Wisconsin stands out as.
leader and Milwaukee has probably
advanced the idea Of vocational training
as far, If not farther than any other
city.
X. L. Cooley. director Of the NIL
waukee Vocational School, ia largely
responsible for its outstanding success.
! Today this school has q building
occupying IL acres of floor space, $50
full-time teachers, 10000 day students
! and 5000 night students. housed In
building which cost $3.50, 900 and was
equipped at an expense Of $l.25o.000.
Last year the school received S1.122,-
900 in local taxes, $4,000 from the
State and $4,000 from the Federal
Government" Mr.. Cooley told me In
discussing the support given this work
in Wisconsin's largest city.
Accepted Under Protest.
Sixteen years ago Mr.. Cooley. then
principal Of one Of the Milwaukee
Schools. was asked to make over the
vocational work. He finally accepted.
under protst.
Il knew nothing about such work
then" he explained.
Wisconsin passed compulsory part
time attendance law Just before the
development Of the Milwaukee expert
INIT In vocational ducation. It offered
TO large group then employed or seek
ing employment. whose members were
more than IA vars old. an opportunity
the regular school system did not ap-
parently provide.
The grade schools Of Milwaukee have
IS 900 students" said Mr.. Cooley. The
high schools have $4,000. The colleges
and universities receive small per-
centsge of those who enter school.
What becomes of that vast number
who drop out. beginning At 10 and l3;
and who keep on dropping out until
the high school age Of 10 ia passed?
There are in this city today 10000
young men and women. between the
ages OF IA and 10. who are earning
about sc. 900. 900 year. Before the days
Of the voca tional school they would
never have had a chance.
nize these people then. They Just
drifted on and did the best they could.
Some made a success: most Of them
did not. because training and work,
the basic apprenticeship idea, were
not followed. Now we are tackiing it."
Not In Regular System.
"Is the voca tionai school part Of the
regular school SYSTEM" 1 asked.
Not exactly. The regular school
system is handled by a superintendent
and staff who are chosen by board
of education of Is. elected at large.
The vocational school director and his
Two Of the board represent labor, two
are employers and the fifth member IS
superintendent of schools The tie
into the regular school system Is not as
strong as some people would like to
have it. and yet it is stronger than
some others deem wise today"
But why compulsory attendance, Mr..
Cooley? Has it been, in your opinion,
wise provision"
1T is an excellent provision. Five
days work with one in school Is .
heavy enough weeks program for peo-
pie under 1S in a country threatened
with the necessity Of putting all its
workers on q hve-dav week basis in or
der TO distribute employment 50 As to
employed That's long sentence, but
think you will see what I mean.
Assures Schooling Chance.
let me state II in another wav: The
compulsory law is the only factcr that
70 attend school. It is the only factor
that makes 1t fair to expect an employer
to serd his young workers to school.
You see. without It the employer who
sends his workers to school Is doing 1t
as a mere act Of benevolence: the work.
ers accept II as charity.
"A part-ttIne compulsory school at.
tendance law reduces the number OF
young people standing at the employ
within for jobs. Take your pencil out,
and you viii see that one day q week
in school means. roughly. 16 per cent
more young people employed on the
average, and on much more humane,
intelligent and-even to the employers
satisfactory program"
This wisconsin expert believes, how
ever that some attention should Be paid
the training OF women in the home, as
we'll As those in industry. He refers
to this as an attempt to maintain the
"solvency" Of the American home, eco
non1ically, mentally and morally.
The mothers In the home largely de.
termine the spending Of the aggregate
Of wages Of the masses" Mr.. Cooley
said TT would be interesting 70 make
an ANALYSIS Of the skill and knowledge
REQUIRED by = young man before enter
ing upon the lob OF q journeynan
plumber and then mediate upon the
fact that we give the young man Ave
years special training to develop him
into satisfactory plumber.
Girls In Factories.
"Now turn to the mother. During
exactly the same period We give the girl
who Is to become the mother Of fam
lily Ave years In the factory to prepare
her for her ultimate responsible
The proposition is absurd. Statistics
show that the great masses Of our girls
spend less than five years In industry.
Then they 60 into the home and take
on all that motherhood and home man
asement involve.
The position Of mother should be a.
adequately filled as that Of any skilled
worker employed in any industry"
Milwaukee now leads all American
cities In the development Of the metal
trades industry. This employs Approxi-
mately $1,000 people, pays annually
s110.000.00 in wages, employs $275,-
900, 900 In capital and has an annual
product Of $500. COO. 900. The basis for
much Of this development lies In the
system Of apprenticeship developed In
recent years, largely In the vocational
school.
Business In America. especially IN
manufacturing. Is returning to the idea
Of combining work and special train
ing" said Mr. Cooley This IL really
the old apprenticeship idea carried over
into modern industry. Our vocational
school Is attempting to f1ll this need
But don't forget. too, that along with
all this training for economic freedom
the cultural side Is not neglected. We
have the finest theater In Milwaukee,
where music, educational lectures and
special concerts are given throughout
the year. With the developnhnt al