A STUDY OF THE NEED FOR JUNIOR LABORATORY TECHNICIANS IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY The study was undertaken to determine the need for this type of employee and provide a basis for organizing a training program to provide industry with properly trained recruits. The questionnaire method was used to secure the desired information which included the demand for junior workers, preferable age for employment, required academic background, initial salary, personal qualifications, and duties. Along with the questionnaire a personal interuim of twenty-fcue per cent of all the firms approached was also made. From the information gathered by the procedure indicated, the need for the training was shown and the subject matter for the proposed course of training was secured. This subject matter i s of course merely a n experimental beginning. The latter portion of the paper crilicizes somewhat the demand on the basis of formal discipline, of certain employers for high-school boys and points out the limitations and inadequacy of the chemical training to which those boys are exposed in the high school. The philosophy of formal vocational education of less than college grade i s briefEy outlined and a criticism of the lay theory that vocational educational institutions are reformatories i s made with some substantiating evidence to offset that theory. In 1922 with the removal of the Boy's Vocational School from its first location in one of the old Newark schools to a new, modern building a t Sussex Avenue and First Street, in the same city, facilities were provided for the inclusion of a course in industrial chemistry. The facilities consisted of a laboratory with locker and drawer room for one hundred eight pupils and a lecture room capable of seating about forty-eight to fifty-four students. While the laboratory provided locker and drawer storage for one hundred eight students, only thirty-six could work there comfortably a t any one time. The equipment which went with this teaching space was the usual type of laboratory equipment found in the conventional high school. Just why this course was included among the trades offered the boys of Newark in this school, the writer has not been able to discover. Apparently no study of community needs had been made and certainly no consideration had been given to the industrial needs to which this course supposedly catered. The instructor was a capable teacher but with apparently no industrial experience. This in itself would have been a serious error under a progressive vocational program but probably was not so bad under the then existing conditions of a vocational school operated by a conventional, traditional public school board. Needless to say the course did not function. The turnover in pupil enrolment was high. The 334
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boys did not find employment. It is not the purpose of this article to consider the factors governing that condition; I intend only to show the type of organization existing when in January, 1925, this school was transferred to the Ejsex County Board of Vocational Education. This Board was organized under the New Jersey law granting the counties right to administer vocational education under the Smith-Hughes Act. This writer was engaged in March of that year as an instructor in related science. The course in industrial chemistry was continued. In March, 1926, the writer was transferred to charge of the Industrial Chemistry Department, superseding the former instructor who was trausferred to other work. Before continuing further I want here to voice my objections to the title of the course. It is a misnomer. A course in industrial chemistry as understood by those of us in the profession is a study of existing chemical manufacturing processes. While there is a certain amount of such knowledge to be included in the course as we present it, neveitheless, fundamentally the course is designed to train junior laboratory technicians or, more commouly, laboratory boys. As I conceive the course, its title should be "Junior Chemical Laboratory Technicians." This title, too. may be open to aiticism but again this article does not propose to discuss that. An expert witness in a court of law must prove his right to give testimony. May I diverge here to prove my right? I was graduated from Columbia University with the class of 1914 with the degree of B.S. in chemistry. For the following eleven years I practiced that profession, always in the research field. That practice included various phases of industrial development of which seven years was in executive operation. During this time 1was constantly training young boys on the job as junior laboratory technicians. Not only was I training such help but I was also observing, unconsciously it is true, their training by others. For the last three years of this eleven-year period I was consulting and advising in various lines. This entire training was sufficiently varied and comprehensive to give me a good knowledge of general laboratory practice and requirements. With this background of industrial experience I was able during the year preceding my appointment to the chemistry department, to observe its shortcomings and to arrive a t a temporary idea of the necessary theoretical changes needed to make i t function. I discarded entirely the existing course which was basically theoretical and substituted such training as my experience indicated would be necessary to prepare the student for employment. This training was as practical as a school laboratory would permit. It was essentially manipulatory in nature. While this procedure tended to correct an existing intolerable situation,
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scientifically i t was worthless. I personally felt that there was need for such training as we proposed to give. I had had snfXcient contact with junior laboratory employees in industry to know what was expected of the new boy in the laboratory. However, I had no data to substantiate my beliefs. They were just personal opinions. I felt we were not justified in includmg in our work the course in industrial chemistry unless such trainiug would provide employment for the boy, and if the course was included then the subject matter of that course should be such as would better equip the student for his later work in industry. The course should not be the result of personal opinion, i t should he what the industries in the county require. Two problems presented themselves. The first of these was: is there need for the training of junior chemical laboratory technicians in the section our schools serve? The second problem resulted from the first: if this training would serve industry and provide employment for our boys, what should he included in such a course of training? T o obtain the information needed to answer the two questions which have been raised, the Junior Employment Service of Essex County was asked t o coaperate in a survey of the chemical industry in the county. This was done because of their interest in placement work and guidance and because of that work they were in close contact with industry and so more likely to receive consideration than an individual would he. We planned to use a short questionnaire, and along with this a personal interview of about twentyfive per cent of the firms. The Newark Chamber of Commerce provided us with a list of sixty-one chemical firms in the section. This list included, with the name and address of the firm, the name of the man responsible for or interested in the employment of junior help. This was important since it meant our investigation reached the man who would be interested in what we were undertaking and would not get into the hands of others not directly interested and so be side-tracked and lost. That this policy was wise is attested t o by the fact that of the sixty-one questionnaires either sent or taken out, forty or sixty-five and six-tenths per cent were returned. This is a high return from a survey of this type. Our first step in the survey was the preparation of the questionnaire. The first draft of this was thoroughly criticized in conference with Mr. R. W. Kent, our assistant director, and members of the employment service. Our aim was to prepare a questionnaire which would secure all the information necessary t o guide us intelligently and yet he sufficiently short and concise so as to hold the interest of the busy executive to whom it was to he sent. Along with the questionnaire a short explanatory letter was mailed. The letter and questionnaire follow.
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E s s ~ xC O ~JwroR Y EMPLOYMENT SERVICE Dear Sir: The Essex County Vocational Schools are in the process of revising their course of study in Industrial Chemistry. This course is designed to train students to qualify as laboratory helpers or laboratory b o y s l l o t professional chemists. The attached questionnaire is being sent out a t the request of Mr. Herman Emst, chairman of the Committee on the Revision of the Industrial Chemistry Course. The recommendations and advice of men in industry are sought in order that the training in this department may be practical and that the graduates may measure up mare fully to the requirements of junior laboratory aids. For your convenience we are enclosing an addressed stamped envelope. Your answers can be written directly upon the questionnaire. Thanking you for your co6peration. I remain, Very truly yours,
Supervisor Questionnaire Relating to Training Course for Jnnior Laboratory Helpers in Industrial Chemistry
Note: We s h l l appeciate your reply fo as m n y of the following questions as you m y be interested in anmering. Your recommndations and svggcstions will be treated con@ntially.
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1. Is your organization interested in young men of less than college grade as junior laboratory helpers?. ................... 2. What is the minimum age a t which you employ a junior laboratory helper?. ....... What minimum education in addition to his special laboratory training would you require? Grammar School.. .................. High School-1, 2, 3, or 4 years.. .................. 3. What particular personal quaEcations axe desirable in junior laboratory helpers?
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In your opinion is the supply of qualified junior laboratory helpers In excess.. Adequate. Inadequate .................. 5. Do you wish a copy of the summary of this questionnaire?. 6. Under normal business conditions approximately how many of the following arc employed in your firm? 4.
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No. Junior laboratory helpers Junior chemist-ollege grade or equivalent Senior chemistscollege grade or equivalent Women chemists and labmatory aids
Appozimatc Weekly Salary
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(This particular information will be helpful in the nocelional guidance work of thc schools.) 7. Kindly check on the attached sheet those duties required of laboratory boys in your type of industry. If all duties are not summarized, please add your suggestions to list.
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Possible Duties o j Laboratory Boys Chcck
Chcd Her
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