H—lB

(e) Hostel Accommodation 36. In Kaikohe, Thames, B-otorua, and. Gisborne, hostels for trade trainees continue to provide living-accommodation. In the course of the year under review the Board established at Purewa, Auckland, a hostel for trainees and ex-servicemen bursars. The building, which was formerly the Purewa Naval Station, has been renovated, and now provides comfortable living-accommodation for approximately 45 trainees and students. (/) Trade Training for British Commonwealth ex-servicemen 37. During the 1947 session of Parliament legislation was enacted enabling tradetraining facilities to be extended to ex-servicemen of the British Empire who served prior to 31st March, 1946. The effect is that British Commonwealth ex-servicemen who are not assisted immigrants may now be considered for trade training at any of the Board's training centres, provided no New Zealand ex-serviceman is thereby excluded, and may enjoy related benefits such as trade educational assistance and tools-of-trade loans. To date approximately 20 ex-servicemen have applied for training under this legislation and 10 have already been accepted for training. (g) Survey maintained of Training Requirements in Districts 38. A close watch is maintained on the industrial field, particularly in relation to its economic and employment prospects for tradesmen in the Dominion generally and as it affects individual districts in particular. While offering every facility for ex-servicemen to train in recognized trades, the Board, in the interests of those ex-servicemen ex-traiuees who have already embarked on their new careers as tradesmen, will afford training in any given occupation only to the extent that it considers the industry will be able to absorb the available labour force. Pursuant to this policy, the Board has decided to discontinue the admittance of any further carpentry trainees into the centre at Oamaru. (h) Building Instruction Manuals 39. Building instruction manuals have receDtly been printed embodying modern methods and particularly adapted to New Zealand conditions. The manual is being made available at a reasonable cost to trainees on completion of their first year of training and, as well as providing them with the curriculum upon which their training is based, will prove a valuable text-book for reference in later years. (iii) " B " Class Training (Subsidized Training with Private Employers) 40. There have been no important changes during the year in the Board's policy in regard to £; B " Class training, which now has a very wide coverage of trades, in the majority of which standard subsidy rates are applicable.

41. A comparison of the totals of " B " Class trainees with, those as at 31st March, 1947, is as follows :

8

Trainees. As at 81st March, Increase or Decrease 1948. 1947. for Year. In training .. .. .. | Training completed .. .. .. j 2,537 1,315 3,036 433 499 decrease. 882 increase. Totals .. .. .. ; 3,852 3,469 383 increase.