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4-2155
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
WORK PROJECTS .ADMEHSTRATION
For Relea se to Afternoon Papers
Wednesday , Aug11st 7, 1940 .
WPA DEFENSE EHPLOYXElJT REGISTER TO SHOW SKILLS OF 2,500,000
The work records of more than 2,500,000 persons on or await ing
assignment to WPA rolls will be combed during the next six weeks for skills
and potential skills which can be turned to
productive channels in defense
industries , Colonel. F . C. Harrington, Work Projects Commis s i one r, announced
toda:r.
I nstructions have been sent al l State WPA Admini strators to proceed
at once with the e stablishment of a uniform Defense Industries Employment
Register which will shO\·r for each W-fA worker, as well as the 1, 000 , 000 or
more on WPA waiting lists, either the
or for which they can bo trained.
skills at which they are proficient
Workers al ready qual ifi ed are, of course,
available for immediate employment , Colonel Harrington eX}Jlained.
Those
requiri ng additional training are subject to enrollment in the special
vocational training courses now being offered cooperatively by WPA, the
Office of Education and t he Defense Advisory Commission.
11 This
register probably will be one of the most accurat e indexes
of available skills on record,
11
Commissioner Harrington declar ed.
11
We have
not only the volunta ry st~tcments of the more than 2,500,000 persons q__n
or awaiting assignment to our rolls as to the kind of work they can do .
We have in addition the actual 9erformanco records of approximately
1, 700,000 workers currently employed on WPA projects.
Wo know from ac t ual
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experience whether they are good mechan ic s , car penters or l;:i,borers ,
and to what extent they might be improved with tra ining.
"Tho Defense . I ndustr i es Employment Register will show for
each state the numb er of persons either ~ualified or potentially
~ualifi ed for a wide variety of industrial occupations which the
Defense Advisory Commission deems import ant to nationnl defense .
Where a shortage of cer t a in types of skills appears likely, arrangements can be made through the voc at i onal tra ini ng pro grrun to give
spec i al t raining in those fields .
Our re gister will be an important
guide in tho selection of the best type of workers to take these
t r aining courses."
Determination of fitness to be placed on the register will
be made , Colonel Harrington explained, from work h istory dat a already
on file for each person on WPA rolls or certified and awaiti ng assignment to a vTPA job.
Where additionc1l i nfo rmation is neccss~ry , the
individual worker or his project foreman and former employers will be
i ntervi ewed personally.
I ndividual c/U'ds will be prepared for each
wo~·ker showing the trades and industries in which they have had
experi ence, their special skills , machines operated, educational status
and general physical condition.
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While WPA workers are required under the law to accept
offers of bonafide employment in private industry, enrollment in the
training progr~ is optional, the Commissioner pointed out .
In fact,
he said, the willingness and interest of the pros1:Jective trainee will
be the first factor considered in making selections .
Other factors
to be considered are heal th and physical condition, existing skill and
experience, ed.uc~tion and training, manual dexterity and famili a rity
with machines or tools, and hobbies or avocations related to the
proposed training.
In his instructions to State 1i{PA Ad.rainistrators, Colonel
Harrington inclnded a list of more t:ian 130 indiviC:ual occui:)ations
which have been desig112.ted by the Defense Ad.visory Commission as
imi)Ortant to the defense p ro gram .
The Defense Industries Employment
Register will, for the ti me being, be confined to persons suited to
these oc cupat ions.
The list of occix:'.)ations will be supplemented from
time to tim e , he sa,id, as demands in the labor su1Jply fluctuate .
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