10
New Ideas and Improved Methods
By FLOYD Q U ERY
J ob methods training program :
Approximately 1,000 California State
employees have participated in the Job
Methods Training Program now being
conducted in nearly all state depart
ments. Key employees in various de
partments are trained in six general in
stitutes for two weeks, three days per
week. These key employees then carry
out the training program in various
departments.
To date the same 1,000 state em
ployees who have taken part in the im
provement program have submitted
suggestions for improvement of work
methods which, when approved, will
save the various state departments an
estimated total of 152,327 man hours
per year, (from Civil Service Assembly,
July, 1945)
Oregon state employees who, except
in a few instances have had no organ
ized training, are to be commended for
the contributions they have made to
more efficient state operation. Several
of these contributions have appeared on
this page during the past year. They
are especially noteworthy when the
fact is considered that the employees
who made them had no reward or in
centive in sight outside of the individ
ual’s desire to see things done in a
better manner.
Industry has long realized the value
of training employees, and the tremen
dous war time production achived was
in a large measure due to the skill and
know-how developed by the various
types of in-service training. It would
seem a logical conclusion that in-service
training intelligently applied to state
personnel would provide more efficient,
more economical state government.
There would also be a benefit to the
employee in an increased sense of re
sponsibility, and a feeling of pride in
work being done to the best advantage.
W ar time road maintenance : A
word of appreciation should be given
to those state employees who have been
responsible for the maintenance of Ore
gon’s highways during the war. With
new" construction practically nil due to
war restrictions, the problem of keep
ing our highways in condition to carry
the commerce of both civilian and war
needs fell squarely on the shoulders
o f these people. This problem had to be
met with a constantly diminshing per
sonnel, with equipment which became
more obsolete year by year, (new
equipment was not available) and with
the added handicap of a sub-standard
wage scale.
Many of these employees worked 54
hours per week, five to nine months
per year, in what in some instances de
veloped into a race between destruc
tion and repair. These employees do
not feel that there was any heroics at-
tachd to their efforts. T o them it was
a job to be done, and it was done,
without ballyhoo or fanfare.
The training within industry pro
gram has reached the cumulative to
tal of 1,687,125 trainees throughout
the United States.
Giustina Lumber
Company
Lumber, Shingles, and
Building M aterial
Phone 1010
Eugene, Oregon
Bottling Company of Corvallis