§ Objects of Centre.
§ 1. The Ministry of Labour has set up a Local Instructional Centre at Bilston to provide a useful course to enable men who have had long spells of unemployment to keep in the physical condition necessary to obtain and hold a job. Only those men considered suitable will be accepted.
§ Length of Course.
§ 2. The course lasts for not, more than 12 weeks. Each man, however, will be expected at any time during the course to take any suitable employment found for him by the Department, or which he finds for himself. Men are not compelled to attend this Centre, but those who volunteer and are accepted will normally be required to attend for the whole course. If a man abandons the course without good cause or is dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct, his claim for benefit or transitional payments may be affected.
§ 3. The hours of work are normally 8 a day, 5 days a week.
§ Nature of Course.
§ 4. The work at the Centre consists of the levelling of some 30 acres of slag-heaps in the vicinity of Bilston. (In addition a certain amount of elementary workshop instruction is also given in rough carpentry, simple metal work, boot and shoe repairing and so on.)
§ 5. The work is not being done as a commercial enterprise or for an immediate return. It could not be carried out in present financial circumstances except under the arrangements now being made. No man will be displacing a wage earner or working for the profit of a private person or firm or of the Government.
§ Allowances, etc. during attendance at Centre.
§ 6.—(a) No wages are paid.
§ (b) Men continue to receive any unemployment benefit or transitional payments to which they may be entitled, plus a personal allowance of 2s. per week. A packet lunch will be provided each day. No travelling 574W expenses to and from the Centre will be paid, as the homes of those engaged on the work will be within easy reach of the Centre.
§ Conditions of eligibility.
§ 7. Both single and married men between the ages of 18 and 50 years from the Bilston, Darlaston, Tipton, Wednesbury and Willenhall areas are eligible, provided they have been unemployed for at least 12 months; in estimating the length of unemployment short spells of employment will be disregarded. Applications for admission may be made at the Local Employment Exchange.