The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1941-07-19
NDP Officials
See Increase In
Negro Hiring
Upsurge Will
Start In The
Early Fall

Officials OF the local office OF the
National Defense program announ-
ced this week that they expect en-
ployment In defense industries to
provide more openings for colored
workers by the latter part OF Au-
gust or the first OF September.
BY that time 1t IS anticipated that
Packard Motor, Briggs Airplane
plant. Continental Motor and Ford
Bomber plant, all OF which have
contracts for large defense orders,
will have completed their new
buildings and equipment will have
been installed.
Through President Roosevelt's
Older the activities OF the Office OF
Production Management, plus re-
ligious, social, political and eco
homie forces, employment bans
against colorcd workers are ex-
pec,ed TO be lifted. "Since rs per
cent Of the new jobs opened by the
defense program will be In skilled
and semi-skilled capacities. oolored
workers cannot hope 10 be fully
integrated into the employment
phase OF the program unless they
enter the defense training classes"
local officials IN the vocational
education program said this week.
The Vocational Education Pro-
gram for National Defense, oper-
ated by the Detroit Board OF Edu-
cation is Offering training oppor-
tunitics TO colorod workers in all
courses according to their ability.
Religious, civic, social. political and
labor leaders are being prevailed
upon TO combine their efforts TO
see that available colored workers
are enrolled in these classes.
II is obviously a better policy
TO ret this training and face the
possibility OF having to fight TO get
employment afterwards that 1t is
TO have opportunities open UP
which they can not take advantage
of because they are not trained"
states Ernest Marshall. supervisor
OF the Guidance for Vocational
Training for National Defense.
According TO statistics issued
by the Board OF Education. out OF
Tho 907 Negroes enrolled IN the
training courses between July. 1910
and May. 1911 only 4O6 completed
the course.
OF the 50l who did not complete
Tho course It was learned that Iii
were employed hut not in the oc-
in which the training was
taken The remainder either
through Indifference. illness or
scmc unknown reason, dropped the
course.
Courses are being given for 10
weeks at 30 hours per week 10 I'M
persons who may regis
Ter with the Michigan State En-
ployment Service. Persons on the
WPA may request this training.
Courses open to this group are:
Machine tool operation. metal
fitting. Airplane wing construction.
aero mechanics, foundry, welding.
sheet metal, aero metal.
aero template making metal form
ing. irplant riyeting. aircraft weld
ing and aviation engine.
For ten weeks employed persons
may take from 4 to 6 hours per
week by bringing a letter from the
Employment Office OF their union a.
the Board OF Education. Subjects
open 10 them are:
Machine tool inspection. welding.
metal fitting. Diesel engines. army
office practice, aviation engines.
pipe welding. aero construction.
electric power wiring machine
tool operation, shop math. sheet
metal. aircraft layout aero mechan-
les, blueprint reading. drafting.
aircraft welding. aero rivcting. ra-