Evening star., 1946-12-09
Permanent Unit
0nEn,ploynnent
Urged in Report
Social Survey Finds
Need to Coordinate
b. C. Job Guidance

u. Il. JoD 0ui0dnCe
Establishment of commission +
conduct continuous studies in EN-
ployment conditions and prospect
In the major economic activities II
the metropolitan area of the DIS
trict was recommended in repor
issued today by the Social Survey.
The report on vocational adjust
lnent was prepared as q result OF
general social survey sponsored b.
the Council Of Social Agencies an,
financed by an appropriation from
the Community Chest.
The proposed commission woul,
be pAmed to analyze the communi
tv's needs in terms Of vocationa
services and to give direction to tn
responsible agencies. The commits
sion also would include as one o
its major objectives q vigorous at
tempt to find solutions to the prob
lens of discrimination with respec
to race, religion, age, sex and handi
caps In training, counseling and EN-
ployrnent.
Aid For Handicapped Proposed.
It was proposed that the Council
Of Social Agencies bring togethe!
Representatives Of the Board o.
Trade, Merchant and Manufactur.
ers Association, veterans organiza'
tfons, labor unions, Bureau OF ths
Budget, Civil Service Commission
the District Government, Board o1
Education, the Veterans Admins.
tration, the United States Employ
ment Service and other public a1d
private organizations to organize the
commission.
In addition to the commission, II
was recommended that a separate
agency be set up to aid the handi-
capped, to do the same work fol-
the handicapped as the commission
would do for others.
The handicapped of Washington
have many unmet needs, the Survey
said. The most glaring weakness in
the service to them is the lack OF
coordination among the more than
IS agencies serving them at the
present time.
Co-ordinating Agency Urged.
It was recommended that a per-
manent co-ordinating committee or
services to the handicapped be ap-
pointed by the Council of Socia,
Agencies. This committee would
evaluate the needs Of the handi-
capped in the community and fol-
low up on the recommendation that
q separate agency be set up for them
The Survey also recommended ar
extended sheltered shop. This Is q
place of employment where the en-
ploye is so handicapped he cannot
maintain the standards set up by
private and public places of en-
ployment. Under this plan persons
capable OF working slowly or for a
few hours day would find place.
nient.
It also recommended a program
for the education. training and en-
ployment of adult persons who be-
cause of handicaps are homebound
Rehabilitation workers have recog-
nized the need for such employ
ment for many years but no steps
have been taken to remedy this
condition.
: Center for Hard-Of- Hearing.
A hearing aid demonstration GEN.
ter was also urged. In this center
all the known aids to the hard-of-
hearing could be assembled anc
persons having hearing troubles
could 60 there to have the different
aids demonstrated, with their in.
terests only to be considered and
no high-pressure selling talk giver
them In behalf of one particular
aid. 1t is estimated by the COM
mittee that there are nearly so diff
ferent hearing aid appliances being
sold In Washington now.
The Survey report said there il
available in the District wide va
riety Of vocational adjustment
services. None of the agencies nov
in operation could be described a.
useless, still less as parasitic. On
the other hand none Of them has
established reputation for service
sufficient to give it role of leader
ship.
The Washington labor market
the report said, Is divided down the
middle between Government and
private employment. The Federal
Government, although 1t employs
about half the people who work in
the metropolitan area, is COM
pletely disassociated from the COM
munity in its personal practices. Its
influence is competitive and disrup-
tive in the local labor market fol-
which it assumes no responsibility
the report said, adding that the re-
suit is confusion and disorganiza-
ton.
Responsibility Is Divided.
The Civil Service Commission and
the Bureau of the Budget take nc
responsibility for the effects Of Fed
eral Employment on the Washing
ton labor market; the District Of
flee of the United States Employ
ment Service operates in the area
apart from the community; the vo.
cational services OF the Board o1
Education are closely tied to the
school system, but isolated from
the labor market; various special OF
minor agencies develop their serv-
ices beyond the limits of their re.
sources In q further attempt tt
compensate for the inadequacies oi
other services. and the commercial
placement and training agencie,
thrive Because they fill a need which
the public agencies should fill ane
do not.
The activities Of the placement
agencies are unplanned attempts te
I'LL day-to-day orders with no day.
to-day applicants, the Survey
pointed out, and in addition no at.
tempt is made to follow up. tht
placement to see II the worker !.
sim employed. II he does not come
to ask for another job 1t is taker
for granted that he Is still employed
Veterans being the largest grour
of applicants for jobs, the Veterans
Administration should become more
,Io~>,, s,.%Arvro tAd NTH ntl1er VOCA.