DURING THE 1966 SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM, THE NEW BRUNSWICK DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR CONDUCTED A STUDY OF THE HIGH DROPOUT RATE AMONG THE 2,673 APPRENTICES IN THE PROVINCE. THE PURPOSE WAS TO FIND AN ADEQUATE SELECTION METHOD FOR TRAINEES. DATA FROM EXISTING FILES AND FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE FILLED IN BY FORMER EMPLOYERS AND DISTRICT SUPERVISORS WERE EXAMINED. IT WAS FOUND THAT APPRENTICES COMPLETING TRAINING WERE SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER, HAD MORE DEPENDENTS, AND HAD MORE PREAPPRENTICESHIP CREDIT PRIOR TO INDENTURE, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE MORE FORMAL EDUCATION. ALTHOUGH DISCREPANCIES APPEARED ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE FILLED IN BY EMPLOYERS AND SUPERVISORS, IT SEEMED THAT APPRENTICES DID NOT LACK INTELLIGENCE OR ADEQUATE EDUCATION, BUT DID LACK INTEREST, WHICH SHOWED UP IN POOR ATTENDANCE, FREQUENT ILLNESS, AND TARDINESS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A BATTERY OF APTITUDE AND INTEREST TESTS BE ADMINISTERED TO ALL APPRENTICESHIP APPLICANTS PRIOR TO SELECTION FOR TRAINING. (EB)