H—39

PREFACE

12th February, 1949. To the Hon. T. H. McCombs, Minister of Education. Sir, — We have the honour to present to you our report on the education, training, and supply of professional engineers in New Zealand. This Committee met for the first time on Tuesday, Bth June, 1948, and has met in all on twenty-eight days. Two days were spent by the Committee in Auckland and two in Christchurch in order to see something of the facilities for engineering training at the University schools of engineering and the technical schools in those two cities. All other meetings were held in Wellington. You will remember that the setting-up of the Committee was decided upon in consequence of representations made to the Eight Hon. the Prime Minister by a combined deputation from the New Zealand Institution of Engineers and the Professional Engineers' Association. This deputation made representations about the training and also the emoluments and supply of engineers. This Committee's original order of reference was as follows : (1) What are the most satisfactory courses to be undertaken at the postprimary stage by prospective entrants to the engineering profession ? (2) Is the present standard of entrants to degree and diploma courses in engineering satisfactory ? (3) To what extent, if any, should instruction in professional engineering subjects be provided iu the technical schools ? (4) Are the present facilities (staffing, accommodation, and equipment) at the University colleges or at the technical schools sufficient for the numbers of students offering ? (5) If the answer to (4) is in the negative, what improvements are required ? (6) What instructional courses in engineering subjects should be provided by the Technical Correspondence School ? (7) What weaknesses, if any, exist in the present standard of instruction available at any stage ? It was, however, also within the order of reference of the Committee to inquire into and to make a recommendation with regard to any other matter not listed above which the Committee considered relevant to the inquiry. Early in its deliberations the Committee found that certain aspects of training were dependent upon the existing and future requirements of the Dominion for professional engineers and upon the actual supply. The numbers to be accommodated at the University schools of engineering and the numbers of engineering bursaries to be made available were obviously both dependent upon the numbers of engineers required. Training and supply were interrelated to such an extent that a satisfactory investigation of one necessitated an investigation of the other. You therefore referred to us later the question of supply, and this, too, we have considered.

5