EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES OF GRADUATES IN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS, MERGENTHALER AND CARVER HIGH SCHOOLS, BALTIMORE. YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROJECT, REPORT 2

THE EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS OF 147 GRADUATES WHO PURSUED A COURSE IN AUTO MECHANICS ARE EXAMINED IN THIS REPORT WHICH COVERS A 5-YEAR PERIOD FROM THE SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL TO FOUR YEARS AFTER GRADUATION. EMPLOYMENT AND EARNING DATA WERE BASED ON SOCIAL SECURITY TAX RETURNS FILED BY EMPLOYERS. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL, WITH 100 PERCENT NEGRO ENROLLMENT, AND MERGENTHALER HIGH SCHOOL, WITH 98 PERCENT WHITE ENROLLMENT, WERE CHOSEN FOR A FOLLOWUP STUDY OF EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES OF NEGROES AND WHITES WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF SCHOOLING, FAMILY EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, AGE, TRAINING AND TIME OF ENTRY INTO THE LABOR MARKET IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. PREGRADUATION EARNINGS FOR BOTH GROUPS WERE ALMOST THE SAME. MERGENTHALER GRADUATES, ON THE AVERAGE, STARTED OUT AFTER GRADUATION AT ABOUT $35-$40 PER WEEK AND EACH YEAR INCREASED THEIR EARNINGS BY APPROXIMATELY $12 PER WEEK. CARVER GRADUATES STARTED AT ABOUT $15-$20 PER WEEK AND EACH YEAR INCREASED THEIR EARNINGS BY APPROXIMATELY $6 PER WEEK. SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN UNDER PRESSURE TO INCREASE RACIAL INTEGRATION, BUT INCREASED SCHOOL INTEGRATION MAY HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE OPPORTUNITIES OF NEGRO YOUTH UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY SIMILAR CHANGES AND PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY. (PA)