The Need for and Ability to Support a Program of Cooperative Vocational Business Education in the Salt Lake City High Schools

The United States Office of Employment Security, early in 1962, reported that there were nearly five million available workers unemployed in the United States (3). An economic recession causing industry to cut back on production, more efficient methods in the manufacturing process, and the rapid changes in labor brought about by automation were listed as a few of the causes contributing to this condition. Another cause as depicted by an industry-produced film, The Awesome Servant, showed that a large number of Americans that have had their jobs taken over by a machine have not been re-hired because they lack an employable skill. The p light of labor was portrayed by showing that machines have either replaced or displaced laborers. Those who have skills have been displaced to help build machines, market them, tend, or repair them. Those workers who have been replaced by the machines, and do not have technical skills, are finding it difficult to remain employed . The film also indicated that many companies are keeping their displaced employees on paroles and training them for other jobs . However, other organizations must release their employees and are forcing them to look for work elsewhere (5)