The Training School for women, of whom over eight hundred have been
placed in the various departments, was started in the latter part of
March, 1918.
Because of the demand for trained help in the factory, we have not
been able to keep them in the Training School as long as we would
wish, but even this short experience has been sufficient to take away
the fear of the shop, as many of our women have never had any factory
experience before.
While in the Training School the students are paid the regular
starting rate for women, and after they enter the factory and become
more efficient their rate increases until they can do the work that
a man previously did both as regards quality and quantity and they
receive a man’s wage.
In some departments it has been found necessary to put slightly more
women on the same operations than men formerly employed to obtain the
same production, but as the women gain experience, their production
increases rapidly and the quality is as good, if not better. The
women have proven themselves very apt in picking up the smaller class
of assembling on account of their nimble fingers and care in handling
stock.
We use our regular production to train the students, and as it must
pass 100 per cent. inspection, we emphasize quality and not quantity.
We find the best class of workers comes from those between twenty-one
and forty years of age, with, of course, exceptions.
We not only teach the new employees the mechanical operations, but
also give them “Health and Safety” lectures, and show them pictures
of many ways one can become injured if they do not use precaution
while working around machinery. They are also instructed in the use
of time and instruction tickets.
Our Inspectors are selected from the factory, preference being given
to those who are experts on their particular class of work.
It is our opinion that the Training School is the proper way to teach
the inexperienced help in order that they may learn the work quickly
and get on a production basis in a short time instead of hiring and
placing help right in the shop and letting them pick it up with what
assistance and instruction they can from their fellow workmen.
In the Training School the most efficient workers can be reorganized
in a short time, and the less efficient ones can be given special
attention, and usually _we can bring them to a degree of efficiency
not possible under the old method_.
We try to find out in the training school where the student’s strong
point is, whether on machine operation or bench work, and are enabled
in this way to place them in a job they are particularly suited for,
thus keeping the problem out of the factory. If they show a proper
degree of interest, they are given all possible encouragement.
We have had to materially increase the size of our school, and with
the hearty co-operation we are receiving from the heads of the
different departments, we believe the employment of women on our work
is proving a success in every way.
Another point that we think is good is that the school itself is
nearly self-sustaining.
The accompanying photo, number one, will give an idea of the size of
our school, and also the various classes of work we train them on.
Number two shows a gang of hand mills “manned” by women. These girls
have all been through our Training School and are now working on a
piece basis and doing it successfully.
(Signed) WM. A. HARTMAN.
[Illustration: No. 1. National Cash Register Co. A section of the
training room.]
[Illustration: No. 2. National Cash Register Co. A gang of hand mills
operated by women.]