Careers:TRAINING

Under‐Secretary of State for Industry John Butcher has warned British companies that they were failing to provide sufficient training, and cited the West German example as evidence of the need for change. Opening Jobs '85 exhibition at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, he referred to a recent survey by the National Institute for Economic & Social Research which compared the productivity of a sample of metal working plants in the UK and West Germany. The average labour productivity was found to be 63 per cent higher in the German plants than in their UK equivalents. The writers of the report then tried to find the reasons for this amazing difference. The machinery used was broadly similar, the materials and components used by the Germans were not markedly better. They eventually concluded that the German workers, and their production foremen in particular, had received a much more thorough training for the job and their managers had a strong technical background as well. German companies are prepared to take on school leavers and give them on‐the‐job and off‐the‐job training, complemented by day‐release courses. Companies, unions, workers and young people themselves feel a strong sense of obligation in passing on knowledge and competence to the next generation. Because of this the young apprentices, though employed by companies, see themselves as still involved in the learning process. They are prepared to work for an allowance which will simply cover their living expenses, and to commit themselves fully to the acquisition of new skills. This positive attitude on the part of all those involved is one that we in this country would do well to take to heart. We must no longer think that education and training is something that happens at school, or just after, and will remain relevant throughout our working lives. We must learn to adapt to technological change, indeed to welcome it as the only way in which we can make sure that our jobs are secure in an increasingly competitive world market.