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employment, and every effort is made by the Department to place them in suitable permanent employment. At the end of March, 1949, there were 203 men on the scheme.' Thirty-three of these were single and 170 married, as compared with 41 single and 187 married men employed under this scheme at the end of March, 1948. (8) Encouragement continues to be given to private employers to employ, on suitable work, persons otherwise only semi-employable. These men, because of physical or other handicaps, are generally unacceptable to employers, and the Department's subsidy during the initial period of training at least until they are capable of reasonable production invariably ensures for these less-fortunate people industrial rehabilitation and their consequent removal as charges on State funds. (e) Maori Employment (1) Maoris enrolling with the Department for -employment during the year have been satisfactorily placed in employment. (2) In cases where, owing to residence in extremely isolated localities with few employment opportunities, enrolees have not been able to obtain employment locally work has been arranged for them in other places. This has applied more particularly to male Maoris living in parts of the Whangarei, Gisborne, and Rotorua employment districts. (3) The success achieved by the Department in arranging employment for Maoris can be judged from the fact that only 4 males and no females were enrolled for employment and unplaced as at 31st March, 1949. (4) The Maori Education and Employment Committee, representative of the Depart-, ments of Maori Affairs, Industries and Commerce, Education Department, Ministry of Works, State Forest Service, and this Department has met on three occasions during the year. (5) The chief aim of the Committee is to ensure the continuing absorption of the Maori race into full employment. The growth of the Maori population in recent years must obviously be followed by a corresponding increase in the numbers leaving school and seeking employment each year. A substantial part of the Maori population is located in remote areas where employment opportunities are limited. The Committee is therefore watching the future employment needs to ensure that work will continue to be available for the increasing numbers seeking employment. (6) Particular attention has been paid by the Committee to the placement in employment of Maori school-leavers. Arrangements, have been made for all schools (primary, post-primary, State, and private) to furnish annually particulars of each individual Maori boy or girl finally leaving school either to enter employment or to remain at home, including comment ,on employment prospects. Maori Welfare Officers of the Department of Maori Affairs will follow up cases where suitable employment presents a problem and will collaborate with Vocational Guidance Officers of the Education Department and District Officers of this Department in arranging suitable placements. (7) The Committee is also investigating the possibility of facilitating the placement of young Maoris in employment through the establishment of hostels in suitable places. Lack of suitable accommodation in industrial centres where vacancies for juveniles exist severely limits the extent to which young Maoris can avail themselves of the work offering. If suitable arrangements can be made present indications are that the scheme will be introduced by the establishment of one or two small hostels initially. Entrants to the hostels would be carefully selected and spread over a wide range of industry. This step would achieve the twofold purpose of facilitating the absorption of young Maoris into a wide range of employment and alleviating the shortage of juvenile workers in industrial centres.

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