Evening star., 1940-06-12
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Stan Correspondent.

otoA obdA ASOIEcopOuucht.
EAST HARTFORD, Conn, June
12-Fears that lack of sufficient
skilled machinists and machine tool
operators might create a bottleneck
which would slow down expansion
Of aircraft engine production have
been pretty well dispelled by recent
developments here At the same
time steps are in progress to insure
that lack Of highly specialized ma
chine tools necessary for expanding
aircraft engine plant facilities will
not serve to create a similar bottle
neck.
New England. perhaps better than
any other section of the country, Is
equipped to staff such a precision
machine tooled industry as an air.
craft engine plant. This section OF
the country, since early days, has
been renowned for its machinists
and fine tool makers. Its traditions
have been handed down from father
to son.
Confronted a year ago with the
need for expanding the aircraft en-
fine industry first to meet the crying
needs of France and Great Britain
for military aircraft and engines
and second, in anticipation Of oul
own defense requirements. the great
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division
OF United Aircraft Corp. and Gov
Baldwin Of Connecticut took prompt
and energetic action looking towarc
an increased supply of skilled work.
ers for the aircraft engine plants.
State Helps Locate Workers.
The Governor put the employment
agencies of the State to work finding
men trained in machine tool opera.
ton and determining the aptitude
OF applicants and to stimulating the
operation of trade schools. Wher
large French engine orders were re.
ceived last August and Pratt &
Whitney began its plant expansion
it experienced no difficulty finding
sufficient skilled labor. With the CO.
operation of the State, the plant wa!
able to find and employ well-trainee
men faster than the machinery wa!
delivered by the machine tool in.
dustry
Pratt g. Whitney officials realized
however, that they could not coun
upon State cooperation or upon tn,
natural supply of machinists raisee
in the tradition of skilled crafts
manship in case of the further large
expansions which seemed certain Il
come
The plant three years ago estab
lished an apprentice training cours,
to teach high schol graduates al
branches of the specialized aircraf
engine production field. The Uni
versity of Connecticut co-operatet
! by establishing advanced aircraf
engine courses with actual shop
work in the Pratt & Whitney plan
as part of the course.
Strenuous Routine Established.
The object of both training pro
grams was to produce supervisor
and foremen. The students, espe
cially those in the university
plunged into a most strenuous rou
tine. They put in 40 hours a weel
at the machines in the plant, at
/ tended classes at the university ant
did their homework in all spar
moments. The courses were planne,
to require four years of work, ex
cept the first, which was a three
| year course.
The first graduates of the three
year course have gone into the plan
during the last year, most oppor
tunely fitting in with the expansion
schedule. The first graduates from
the four-year course are becoming
available this month. just on tn
eve Of an $4,000 900 plant expansion
program financed by the British
government.
The apprentice school began will
six students. There now are 192
At the beginning of 1899 the Prat
& Whitney engine factory was EN-
ploying about 2,700 employees regu
larly. A month ago its personne
rolls reached total of 5000.
In addition to the apprentice ant
university courses, a third cours
was opened for engineering grad
yates, to fit them in 2ia years TO
positions as engineers and labora
tory men in the aircraft industry
They spent 18 months in the fac
tory and then were shifted to tn
specialized branches for which the,
seemed most fitted. The course be
gan with IL students: there now ar
so and will be more when presen
engineering college classes are grad
uated this month. Pratt & Whit
ney. despite the fact it now is con