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FEDERAL WORKS .AGENCY WORK PROJ:ECI'S ADHIHISTRATIOH ,. For I mmediate Release Thursday, June 12, 1941 . WPA ESTA:BLIS:F.IBS DIVISION CF TRA.IlifilJG AND R~-EMPLOYMEliT, HJCREASIKG EMPF.ASIS ON PREPJL-q_.ATIOH OF WORKERS FOR DEFEFSE HIDUSTRY. Establishment of the Division of Training and Re- employment , with plans for a substantial i~crease in the prograiti of training worke rs for defense industries , was announced tod.ay by Howard o. Hur.ter, Com;::1issioner of the Work Projects Admil:.i::;tration. S]1ecial emphasis ,-:ill be :placed on efforts t0 move WPA workers into j obs in private incLustry , whether i n defense lines or not . The p r og1·am will cover all fields of training. Acid.i tional thousands are to be re-tra ined. to moclerr,ize their s~dlls or to adapt them to new techniques in industries , where mechanization has chenged or eliminated their old jobs . The Training and Re - Em:plo;irment Di vision will have parity with other r.ivisions of the W:?A organization such as :Sugineering, Corr,..cr, uni t;r Service and Employment , Mr . Hu:r:ter explained, and will be und.er t.r..e su:per,:ision of an Assistant Commission er . Fred R. Rauch , As s istant Co~missio~er formerl y in charge of the :-&-lploymont Division will l:.ead the new Division . Hr . Rauch r~s taken a leading part in l'L e,relo:ping the trainins a nd re- employmen t progra..-rn of 1\IPA. At :pr eP> ent tho vocational training classes of WPA hav e an enrollment of a:p:proximatel y 34, 000 worh,r s who are being fitted for jobs in cte fense industry. It is ex-_pocted that tho number of workers Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2248 - 2 receiving tr2..ining will be steaclily increased throughout the summer . Tot~l ~nrollment sinco the classes stnrted in mid-s-..unmer of 1940 has boon more t~an lC0,000. Of the 60 , 000 no longor in training, ap~1roximr1.tely 40,000 have fou.21c. -?rivate jo-bs in def0nso lines . Those wl10 cannot be :placed in p:::-ivc,,te industry i:r.E1odio. tel? 2..ro roturmJd. to work on VTPA :projects tmtil :r-,rh-at .: J er:ploymont is cl,Vailaole. Nr . RD.uch is now in ?uerto Rico to inspect i'.?A proj r:: cts o: im1Jortanc0 to national defense there i!.nd in .the: VirGin Isl2.nds . ~ Tho WPA progr2m in these ins .lar t ·::Jrri torien ic dovo";cd 12.rgely to defonse 1, 1 work , id th more them 22 , 000 omplo:,- rd on such projects in Puerto Rico alone . Rotur:.1inc to W2,shington by plane June 17 , Hr. Rauch will ber;in at onco to com:'.Jlcto the organizD,tion of the Traiaing ancl R8emp lo:'T!lent Di visio!1, with r q Jrescntation on 0['..Ch St~te c::,nd Regional WPA stl'..ff. ---oOo- - - Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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