North Dakota State College of Science - Agawasie Yearbook (Wahpeton, ND)

Page 24 text:

Many Receive Defense Training On April I, 50 men enrolled for “refresher” training in three courses under the National Defense Training Program. The quota for each course has been set at 20. The following courses arc in operation at this time: Aircraft Assembly, Aircraft Riveting, and Welding. A course in Machine Shop was begun on April 7 with a quota of 20 trainees, and on April 14 courses in Sheet Metal and Electrical Maintenance were opened to handle 20 trainees each. With all courses in operation approximately 120 men were in training. Refresher courses are short courses to prepare and upgrade workers for defense industries. These courses are under the direct supervision of E. F. Riley, State Supervisor of Trades and Industrial Education. Trainees are selected 50 per cent from the WPA Offices. All trainees arc selected upon their abilities to meet specific entrance requirements. Courses arc in operation seven hours a day, five days a week, for ten weeks and will he in operation following the day school schedule. This means that most courses will start operation at 4:00 p. m. and have one hour recess for the evening meal. During the summer months of 1940, refresher courses were in operation at the State School of Science in Sheet Metal, Electrical, Aviation, Welding, and Machine Shop, but due to the heavy enrollment in the regular day school program in all departments, it was necessary to discontinue refresher training courses until additional qualified instructors were added to the staff and shop space made available.