Montana labor news., 1945-05-24
MAKING SURE THEY
HAVE A JOB TO GO
TO In GREAT BRITAIN

TO IN GREAT BRITAIN
Details of a vocational training scheme
designed to equip the men and women
who have been serving in Britain's
forces with the kind Of knowledge and
skill they will need to get back into
civilian life, are being worked out be-
tween the ministry of labor, the employ
ers and the trade unions in the particu
lar industries concerned.
Much foresight. knowledge and ex-
perience will have to go into the work
ing out of the scheme, as it is natural
that all parties-the government, the
employer and the trade unions-will
want to ensure to those who take ad-
vantage of the scheme that on compile
ton of the training they will have a job
to go to. The numbers accepted for
training, theafore, will have to be care
fully related to the opportunities Of en-
ployment in the various occupations in
which the training is given.
The method of training will follow
closely upon the lines which Nr Ernest
Bevin, Britain's minister of labor and
natural service, and an experienced trade
unionist, introduced soon after he took
office in May 1910, when it was so nee
essary to train as many people as pos
sible for essential war industries. He
set up a number Of government training
centers in various parts of the country,
and used the technical colleges and spe-
cially selected employers works, where
the trainee was employed under general
conditions as nearly as possible resemb-
ling those in which he would be required
to work at the trade afterwards. The
same method will be used again. The
trainee will not be expected to finish a
coure of training if he finds that he is
not suited to the trade he has chosen.
The ministry of labor is prepared to do
its best to fix up he applicant in trade
to which he is most suited.
industries Have Machinery Set Up
Some industries have machinery set up
already for dealing with this problem
AS long ago as February 1943, for in
stance, a scheme for the training of adult
workers in the building trades was laid
before parliament by the minister of
labor and the minister of works, after
which a building industry advisory
panel, representative of the government
employers and the unions, was estab-
lished to consider technical and other
matters, such as the number of persons
to be admitted to training over given
period the proportion between different
occupations in the building industry
the selection of persons for training, anc
the nature of the trade test, with a view
to standard of proficiency to be at
tanned to qualify for admission to tn,
industry.
Locally, advisory committees were Sc
up attached to the employment ex
changes, to assist in the selection o
applicants for training. These Commit
tees also give advice on methods o
training in the areas where the training
centers are located, and keep SOM
measure of control in preventing th'
possibility of these trainees going int,
workshops where conditions of employ
ment are not recognized as fair in tn
trade.
other industries, such as the boot an,
shoe trades, the clothing industry, tn
pottery industry, and, in fact, all tn
unions catering for workers in the in
dustries covering the essential needs o
civilian production, are concerned in tn
re-traming and rehabilitation Of work
ers coming from the forces, and the,
will insist that the training is of a higl
quality so that the applicant will have
proper status in the particular industr,
for which he is trained, in the samt
way as those who have entered by tn
usual peacetime channels, such as ap
prentices.
ManpOwer Pressure
The pressure of manpOwer in Britain
was never more severe than it is now
This is due to the fact that there ha
been an overlap between the Europeal
war and the war in the Far East, an'
at the same time the need for resusci
tating civilian industries has becOm
urgent, because Britain has had to Gu
her larders and store cupboards to tn
bone
Doctors are getting worried about tn
scarcity of sheets and blankets and al
hospital supplies; and housewives hav
for a long time been worried about tn
scarcity of pots and pans and othe
household necessities. In order to NEE
these needs the government has beel
using italian co-oprators resident il
England, but up to the moment thei
work has been confined to laboring job,
such as loading and unloading wagon,
clearing debris, quarrying and agricul
ture.
Now the overnment has asked tn
trade unions to agree that italian co
operators who before the war were skille,
in particular occupation should b
allowed to work in that occupation il
this country. Previously the governmen
had agreed with the Trades Union Con
gress that before any italian cooper
ators were used in industry, two condi
tions had to be fulfilled (a) that ther
must be no suitable British labor avail
able, and (b) that consultation mus
take place with the local officers of tn
union concerned. Now that the minis
ter desires to extend the use Of Italial
labor to skilled work, the government
has offarad tbe trade unions cnne1I1ta tiO,