Mr. WOLFBEIN. I have been away for a while but the last count was several thousand. Senator HILL. They came from both management and labor, did they? Mr. WOLFBEIN. Yes, sir. You see, generally speaking, I think one of the most heartening things about this, Mr. Chairman, is that we sense a growing responsibility, a sense of growing responsibility on the part of management and labor on what can be done to mitigate the impact of automation. We all agree the Nation has to have automation and technological change for our own economic growth and our posture in the international field. The other side of the coin is what can we do to help people who are affected by it? I think this is one of the best signs we have had in this past year. I would like very much, now that we have had this experience, to really implement this four point program that we have described. PERSONNEL INCREASES Senator HILL. Does most of your budget go to personnel? How much of your budget will go to personnel? Mr. WOLFBEIN. This calls for 55 people. Actually, we anticipate about a 10-percent lapse rate so that all in all it will be about 50 man-years for this program. You see, most of the funds, in fact just about half of the funds will not go to hiring people but will be for outside contracts where they count, for getting up information and putting it out where people can get it. Senator HILL. How will you get this information? Will you get it largely by written inquiries or by sending people out to make personal investigations? Mr. WOLFBEIN. In the beginning we will have to send people out to make the initial contacts. But eventually, I hope this will occur more frequently by mail. Most of our successful programs, as you know, in the collection of material can be done that way. That is the story on our first program that I am here on, automation and manpower. AREA REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES APPROPRIATION ESTIMATE "AREA REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES "For expenses necessary to carry into effect sections 16 and 17 of the Area Redevelopment Act (Public Law 87-27), including grants or reimbursements to States, [$14,000,000, of which $10,000,000 shall be available for occupational training and retraining payments to individuals authorized by section 17 of such Act] $15,041,000.” To increase the allocation for vocational education facilities at To provide for increased costs of processing subsistence pay- Total, change....... +900, 000 +141, 000 +1, 041, 000 Senator HILL. You were going to address yourself now to area redevelopment activity. Mr. WOLFBEIN. Yes, sir. Senator HILL. Go ahead on that, Doctor. Mr. WOLFBEIN. Again, very briefly, Mr. Chairman, our Office has responsibility for coordinating the Department of Labor's responsibilities under the Area Redevelopment Act. As you know, the Area Redevelopment Act calls, in sections 16 and 17, for the training of unemployed workers, in cooperation with our Bureau of Employment Security and our Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, this program has now been going on since October 1. I am very happy to report to you, Mr. Chairman, again very briefly, that in these few months we have begun a total of 42 training programs in this country. Senator HILL. Forty-two? Mr. WOLFBEIN. Yes, sir. Senator HILL. Is that in different parts of the country? Mr. WOLFBEIN. In 18 different States. Senator HILL. Where you have acute unemployment situations? Mr. WOLFBEIN. Exactly. Again, what is most heartening, Mr. Chairman, is the fact that most of the people who are now enrolled in these training courses have been unemployed for 26 weeks or more. Senator HILL. You mean at least a half year? Mr. WOLFBEIN. A half year. In fact, a very substantial proportion; I have the figures here, one-third were unemployed 52 weeks or more. Senator HILL. That is a whole year. Mr. WOLFBEIN. A whole year. PROGRESS OF PROGRAMS Senator HILL. I shall place in the record these several tables giving information on the progress of the occupational training programs. (The information referred to follows:) Highlights of ARA occupational training program, Feb. 20, 1962 1. Legislation enactment May 1, 1961. 2. Appropriations available October 1, 1961. Subsistence.. All other costs.. Total. 3. First training project approved October 10, 1961. 4. Training projects approved through February 16, 1962: Projects... States... Trainees.. Courses_ Different occupations. 5. Training projects pending February 16, 1962: Projects.. States... Possible trainees... Highlights of ARA occupational training program, Feb. 20, 1962—Continued 7. Trainees enrolled in approved training courses February 19, 1962: Training courses.... |