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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 15. August 7, 1952

The Scheme

The Scheme

The aim is solely to create a service for students, not to encourage extramural activity. We cannot forecast to what proportions the Student Employment Service may grow, but intend experimenting at first with a register system, which should be almost self-operating.

In one register, open to students at the office at any time, will be listed the Jobs available, with details of times, conditions, remuneration, etc. If one appeals to you and you have not already registered, you will do so, paying a small fee after the August holidays, and be given the name and address of the employer. (This method will save ten students badgering the same employer!) A second register will be kept for students who wish to register themselves as available at set times for certain types of employment; employers will be referred to this and asked to contact the student who seems suitable.

The success of the" whole scheme obviously depends on student cooperation. Employers will be asked to report unsatisfactory employees; but we hope we'll never hear of any, because every student who doesn't do a job he has agreed to take, or who does it badly, lowers the reputation of the whole Employment Service. And the few employers who trust the Service, the less effective will it be in finding jobs for students who may need them urgently.

The venture is organised, solely for the benefit of students; the more you use it, the greater will be the advantages it will be able to offer. Eventually we may even be able to hunt out just the jobs students want as they want them, find them careers, and show them job opportunities after they have graduated.

To get the Service fairly started before the summer vacation, we want right now to know approximately the amount of student labour that will be available. So if you contemplate working at Christmas time, and have not yet decided what you are going to do or where you are going to do it take the most of this opportunity right away. Give us your name, and was will give you, our assistance.

Melbourne University reports: "We provide vacation work and an odd job service for students wishing to gain experience or earn money while studying. About 2500 students have been placed through this section in each of the last two years.

"Apart from being educative, vacation work provides valuable part of undergraduate education, besides giving employers, a chance to get acquainted with utudents. We get very many letters from employers speaking in appreciative terms of our people, and many students take up permanent employment with employers to whom they have returned year after year for vacation work. The willingness of our students to tackle any type of work, however menial, has done much to break down a prejudice which undoubtedly existed here against university men and women ten years ago."

American students in most colleges are helped by their college Placement Officers not only to find part-time jobs—baby-sitting, etc.—but also to find permanent employment when they graduate. Many aim to have every graduating students placed in permanent employment before they actually leave college.

Colleges often employ fairly large staffs to handle this work, and usually are able to insist on references from prospective employers. Students are interviewed about their experience in past jobs when they register. and the college sets a "tariff" for such jobs as baby-sitting, and acting as a waiter. Students are often employed in college cafeterias, libraries, and to assist in various departments. For students who want to spend the vacation as waiters or waiteresscs in summer resorts, special courses in the art are held, so that no student goes out absolutely "raw" on the job.

Just yet we can't hope to provide courses for graduate waitresses at Vic. but there's opportunity for free tuition and practice any time you like in the cafeteria!

Remember: Register Before The Holidays!