§ Mr. J. Edwardsasked the Postmaster-General the number of youths recruited to the Post Office as engineering youths-in-training during each of the last four years; what number he expects will be 176W recruited in the current year; and how far he expects that recruitment will be spread evenly throughout the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonThe numbers recruited in the last four calendar years are
1954 … … … 1,134 1955 … … … 1,468 1956 … … … 1,577 1957 … … … 1,161 We hope to recruit 500 youths-in-training in the current year. The level of recruitment varies from place to place according to local needs and availability of candidates.
§ Mr. J. Edwardsasked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking in respect of recruitment to his engineering department in the light of the need to expand training and apprenticeship facilities during the next two years when the number of boys leaving school will be at a higher level than in past years.
§ Mr. K. ThompsonWe shall continue to recruit youths-in-training to the maximum extent compatible with our available resources and our future needs for skilled staff. We have recently extended day-release facilities for further technical education and have in addition provided scholarships to universities and colleges of advanced technology for the more able of our junior technicians.