VETZRAHS-CO-OPS-AMD THE COLLEGES/
Cent, from page 13.
addition, there are 515 production credit
associations, about 1000 national farm
loan'association offices and 13 banks for
Cooperatives. Employoos in all fields
probably total close to half a million—
no inconsiderable number.
College training is no prerequisite for
most of these jobs. Yet in some of its
forms it is either necessary or highly de
sirable—particularly in technical jobs
and those that arc stopping stones to sup
ervisory and administrative positions vdicri
broad understanding is needed if the co
operative is to'have forward-looking lead
ership it needs. Then, as ~'rofessor F.J.
"'rich of ”i ssissiupi State College points
Cent, in nert column.
AN Cl-I GRACE
SAND & GRAVEL
A.WALDRON GEN. MGR.
FOR YOUR
CONCRETE NEEDS '
"build IT WITH CONCRETE
VALLEY
CONCRETE PRODUCTS
CONCRETE BLOCKS
MIXED CONCRETE
C.V. KING JR. GEN. MGR.
VALLEY
ELECTRIC
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES
RESIDENCE WIRING
NEXT TO KOSLOSKY'S
I-— ■ ■■ ----
...
out, an understand iris of cooperatives and
their problems is important for county
agents and vocational teachers.
As for vacancies—no one can be dead sure
of what the future holds. But the facts do
add up. Daring the last few years many
older co-op employees have stayed on the
job only to helo with the war. Mapy of
these may now want to retire. In many
cases experienced personnel will not be
around to take their ulaces. This should
increase the opportunities for young men
with education and training to offer as
substitutes far experience.
Many former employees will probly want to
go back to their co-op jobs. But before
they go back, they may want to grab the
break many a young man wanted before the
war—the chance to go to college. Now
their Government is giving them that chance.
So if they can get some specific training
to fit them for the field they already
know—and for a much better chance to go
up tho ladder in this fiit-d—certainly :
many of them will be interested.
The colleges say they can offer this train
ing. 3ut some of them arc a little wor-'
ried. Several things are troubling them,
according to replies from various state
colleges given in answer to the cooper
ative research and service division quer
ies on the future of schooling for co
operative employees,
,:Co-ops don’t pay enough" is the worry of
a few. Idaho says it has had discouraging
results in getting college men into co
operative fields, primarily because Co-ops
promote people from the ranks. Minnesota
says that cooperatives themselves have not
turned to colleges for personnel. North
Carolina follows suit with the remark that
co-ops select men from their own staff for
training as managers or for other posi
tions, Rhode Island warns that nersons
entering tho employ of’a co-op will have
to start at tho bottom.
Perhaps Professor A.L. Larson of Oklahoma
k.k M. College sums up a good many of the
reasons why students haven’t always shown
too much interest in going into cooperative
work. These reasons come under three head
ings: (l) instability of tenure'associated
with the semi-political nature of some
co-opcrativcs; (2) relatively low wages
paid; and (3) insufficient opportunity for'
idvanccment. (Con sid(^—i^ext week Pro side.)