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f;)OCUMENTS ROOM 4-2145 FEDER.AL WORKS J\.GElWY WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRA.TION For Release to Morning Papers Tuesdey, July 2, 1940 HARRINGTON .Al;NOUNCES $17,000,000 TRA.IN"IlJG PROJECT FOR DEFE1rnE WORKERS Colonel F. C. Harrington, Commissioner of Work Projects, today announced approval of a $17,281,000 vocational project to train 50,000 WPA workers and up to 100,000 other persons in established public vocational schools this summer for jobs in industries essential to National Defense. In keeping with its nature and importance at this time, the project is the first anproved by the President in the new 1941 fiscal year. Set up under a special provision passed by Congress, it also is the first vocational training project in the WPA program and the first major step in the national defense training program. The nationwide project is sponsored by the National Defense Advisory Commission. As co-sponsor, the Office of Education of the Federal Security Agency will make available $7,500,000 in addition to $9,781,340 allotted from WPA funds. Regular staffs of school officials will be responsible for actual conduct of the classes with their regular vocational training facilities during July, August and September. Colonel Harrington said the WPA will be responsible for selecting 50,000 workers from its rolls in states where need for the program is found. WPA will also handle payrolls, keep time and nec- cessary statistical records and provide auxiliary pe rsonn el. Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2145 2 - The Gffice of Education, as a sponsor, will obtain and pay for the use of vocational training school buildings and equipment and pay the salaries of teachers and supervisory personnel. "This traini ng is on a strictly voluntary basis," Colonel Harrington said. 11 Whether the trainees come from our project rolls or whether they come from among others on the rolls of public employment offices or any other agencies, they should become highly important to our expanding defense industries. 11 I have already directed tha t a specie,l register be prepared and made available to the Bureall of Employment Security and the training schools to show at a glance in every community those WPA wo rkers who are already qualified for work in defense industries or will be suitable for enrollment as trainees under this p rogram. the nature of 1 refresher 1 courses. For many the work will be in Others will receive more basic train- ing, but all of the WPA workers sent to school will be qualified for the training by virtue of their work habits and aptitude for the occupation for which training is given. n Suitable candidates include especially those who have had some experience as automobile mechanics, electricians, cabinet makers, draftsmen, sheet metal workers, welders, pattern makers, foundry men and forge men or in scores of other fields of employment. Fred R. Rauch, Assistant Commissioner of Work Projects in charge of employment will direct WPA's sha re in t he program. His division is prepared to coope rate closely with r ep resent a tives of the Office of Education in the various st ates and with l ocal school officials in inaugurating the program during the next several weeks, Colonel Harrington said. Local advisorJ committees, consisting of representatives of industry and labor, will consult with the vocational school authorities on the types of ~~~~ru.Jihj; needed to fill the ne eds ofo~~al ~&rhense industries. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 111111 II NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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