University of Virginia Library

"Most Sympathetic" Official

Mr. Jenkins wanted to make it clear that the State
Director of Personnel and his staff "have been most
sympathetic to our problems and have done all they could
within the budgetary limitations."

Mr. Jenkins said that the University is using other
means than financial ones to improve the lot of its
bottom-scale employees. The University is this community's
largest single employer of unskilled workers, employing
about 750 of them, including 27 who are illiterate.

"Custodial work is not a career," he said. "We should
not think of salary raises as the only end for these
employees. If an employee has a capability for a higher
position, his skills should be improved."

He said the Personnel Office is attempting to arrange
for volunteer tutors in the community to teach the 27
illiterates to read and write, but that there is a difficulty
in locating male tutors so the program is not making
much progress.

Mr. Jenkins described other educational and training
programs that his office encourages employees to participate
in.

"We have encouraged employees to take the Federally
sponsored basic education course offered at night at Lane
High School. This is a free course which generally covers
the education curriculum through the sixth grade. The
Community Action Organization has a newly established
Learning Laboratory which is available for those who
need help at any grade level.

"The University is also paying the tuition for a number
of employees who lack some high school courses. They
are enrolled in the regular adult education courses at
Lane.

"We will also present a short preparatory or 'cram
course for employees who are almost ready to take the
high school equivalency test. This is to prepare them to
take the test which will be given on April 5.

"The Personnel Office has selected 12 employees to
participate in a clerical training course. These employees
are generally high school graduates with good aptitudes
for clerical-type work but who are now working as maids,
food service workers and nurses aides.