H—lB

(6) Trade Training Schedules Because there does not appear to be any uniform record in any given trade of the actual operations in which the employer is expected to train an apprentice within the trade, or branch of the trade, concerned (and consequently the extent of training is left largely to local custom or the individual discretion or ability of the employer concerned, which may vary between districts or even between employers in any given district), the Rehabilitation Board assumed the responsibility of preparing " master schedules " of the operations of various trades to ensure that ex-servicemen placed under training with private employers receive adequate training. A full outline of the proposal which has now been prepared for seventeen main trades has been sent to the various national bodies for their information and general endorsement of the scheme. An offer of the material assembled to the Consultative Committee on Technical Education set up by the Minister of Education has been accepted. (c) Administration The table in the Appendix at the end of this report showing the numbers in detail under the various trade headings gives an indication of the outstanding success of this phase of trade-training activities. Without the co-operation of employers' organizations and trade-unions in the initial stages of each applicant's training this achievement would have been very difficult. The Board again wishes to record its appreciation of the assistance so readily given. (iv) " C " Class Training 1. Training assistance under this heading relates to the resumption of apprenticeships interrupted by war service and revived under the Suspension of Apprenticeship Emergency Regulations 1944. 2. As mentioned in last year's report, representations were at that time being made to Government by the Employers' Federation, after consultation with other interested parties, concerning the question of amending the suspension of Apprenticeship Emergency Regulations 1944 to provide for a reduced employers' wage payment in certain cases where apprentices revive their contracts of apprenticeship after military service with a corresponding increase in the Rehabilitation Board's subsidy. Amending regulations to make provision for such adjustments were gazetted on 12th June, 1946.

3. Table VI of the Appendix gives the figures relating to " C " Class training for the year ended 31st March, 1947. Following is a comparison of the figures in this table with the equivalent totals for the previous year :

(v) " E " Class Training 1. Since its inception the " E " Class, or, as it is more widely known, the Intermediate Employment Scheme, has provided an excellent means whereby partially disabled ex-servicemen have been given subsidized employment of a therapeutic nature consistent with their individual physical capabilities.

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As at 31st March, Increase for 1947. 1946. Year. Ex-servicemen in training Ex-servicemen completed training 2,151 1,000 950 174 1,201 826 Totals .. .. 3,151 1,124 2,027