Evening star., 1940-07-10
500 on W.P.A
To Be Trained
|For Defense
Vocational Courses
Will Be Started
Here Next Week
By DON S. WARREN.

Acting with extraordinary speed,
officials of the District w. P. A., in
cooperation with Federal officials,
today were completing arrangements
for placing approximately 500 WP.A.
workers in intensive vocational
training courses for national defense
purposes
While details of the program have
not been completed, Paul Edwards.
District w. P. A. administrator,
anticipated it would be possible to
start the training courses next week
The scope of the vocational training
has not been defined, but Mr.
Edwards estimated about 500 would
be drawn from the District w. P A.
rolls and assigned to the courses.
which will cover a wide range of
industrial activities, intended to fit
the trainees for possible national
defense service, in case of any
emergency.
The plan is to make use of facil-
tiles of the District public schools
at least for the summer. If the pro-
gram is continued, as thought prob
able, some arrangement would be
made for use of the school facilities
either at night or after school hours.
May Add More to Rolls.
The District now has about 10000
persons on w. P. A. rolls. 1t is an
ticipated by District w. P. A. officials
that they will be permitted to place
on these rolls persons on the wait
ing list to the extent that present
w. P. A. workers are assigned to
the vocational training courses.
There is as yet no official order on
this point.
Supervising the development of
the Washington national defense
vocational training program is
Lawson j. Cantreli, assistant super
inte' dent of schools and in charge
OF vocational education The official
sponsor for the program here, as
elsewhere over the country, is the
National Defense Council, with the
TOfflce of Education, under the Fed
eral Security Administration.
The Office of Education, 1t was
said, would provide funds for the
payment of teachers in the voca-
tlonal courses. 1t was not known
today just how much of the Federal
sl7,500,00 w. P. A. program would
be alocated to the District since
the number of local trainers is not
known. In the Federal plan, up to
10000 w. P. A. workers may be as
signed to such courses, and in addi-
ton. up to 100000 persons drawn
from other classiications such as the
c. c. c. and the ". Y. "A.
Reserve of Workers Is Aim.
It was announced the plan con-
templates the training of persons
for work in the manufacturing,
maintenance and repair of air.
craft; the making or use of machine
tools and dies in forging, pattern
making and wood working, and in
light and heavy ordnance. It was
explained the trainees will not be
used IN production in any of these
lines, but rather would be given
training along these lines. Mr.. Ed
wards said that while there may
now be sufficient skilled workers to
meet the needs of the vital indus
tries In connection with national de-
fense, the purpose would be to build
up a reservoir of skilled or partly
skilled workmen
| Selection of the w. P. A. workers
for the training courses will be on a
/ voluntary basis, Mr.. Edwards en-
phasized. He said assignments
would be made generally on the
basis of the willingness and interest
of the w. P. A. workers, with condi-
ton of health, aptitude for the
training and previous apprentice
ship or experience in handling tools
as specially desirable qualifications.
Mr.. Edwards said professional edu-
Gators would be employed to aid in
the selection of the workers as
signed to the courses.
Officials of the United States En-
ployment Service are to be con-
suited as to industries which might
offer employment to the trainees in
case they are not needed in the ma
tional defense program, or until
they were needed.
The money for the trainees will
come from w. P. A. funds and
money for materials will come from
the Office of Education, in addition
to the funds for teachers. Mr.. Cam
trell has estimated it will cost be-
tween Sc and $40 a week per pupil