U.K. Registered Fleet is growing

[Keith Tindell]

I am 77 years old, and i could be wrong , in which case someone will no doubt come up with another answer, but i am sure most appretices when i left school at 15 were for 7 years. i am trying to remember when you were first promoted to AB, how many years it was before you on were top wack AB money, kt

[robpage]

In the 1950s I would suggest that most apprenticeships were down to 5 years but I would suggest that pre-war you would do longer than that followed by a period as a journeyman so I would think the seven years is not unrealistic I did my apprenticeship in 1966 and it was down to four and a half years most of the places are sure by then we're coming down to 4 years
I think in the days when you left school at 14 and became an apprentice you would be 21 and recognise an adult when you've finished

[Jim Brady]

When I left school in 1955 the apprenticeships were from 16 years of age to 21 years of age and I think that the company were obliged to take you on for 12 months after you completed National Service.I started work at 15 as a Potential Apprentice Plumber what a way of getting a years work out of somebody on low wages.As I was nearing my 16th birthday the boss informed me to tell my father that he had to come to the office to sign my indentures,I told him my father will not be coming as I am going away to sea so take my notice.Good companies would not take on a lad for his apprenticeship until he was 16.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[robpage]

My first wages in 1966 were £15 a month , I had spent the summer labouring for a company on £15 a week but we were told in those days it cost over £5,000 the training Apprentice over the four and a half years when I compared my wages with apprentices assure I was very well paid and especially as my food and lodgings were all found in addition to the £15 as well as British and Commonwealth would supply free of charge your necessary books which I think were about £30 worth . Many of my peer group could to my mind spent the first few years of their apprenticeship carrying a fitters toolbox and running errands as a very cheap form of labour and many of the Shore companies won't be a great supporter of somebody getting educated unless you did it at night school in your own time so I think as apprentices British and Commonwealth we're pretty good to us

[j.sabourn]

A quick resume on ore carriers as was a post on them not so long back......introduced in1952 when the uk still had the greatest ship building and marine engineering in the world.
The greatest problem was steel shortage.
In the early 50s a plan to reorganise the steel industry was to form British Iron & Steel Corp. and to restrict the import of iron ore to a small number of ports. And to build up a fleet of specially designed ore carriers.
This Corporation decided on a building program involving two sizes of vessels.
In general these ships were taken on a 15 year charter.
Tramp owners. Who built these were Bowrings, Denholms, Souters, common Bros., Dalgliesh, Mungo Campbell’s, they came into service in 1956.
The building of the smaller type they traded between uk and N and W African ports and carried about 9000 tons of ore and were generally known as the Port Talbot runners.
Tramp owners who built the smaller ships apart from Buries Markes were Crest Shipping, Dalgliesh, Denholms,
All now history. All now conspicuous by their absence.
It was all there for the use of to build the economy to proportions that it should be today. Who is to blame for the sabotage of the wealth of the Nation. I know who I blame.
This is only one very small part of the maritime world the rest was also given away piece meal, no amount of propaganda can hide the facts. Bad management , bad people, bad government. Culminating in what is left today for the next generation to try and get some order out of.
JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

I went to a Technical school in London.
A new concept in the 50's with a plan to encourage apprentices in building and electrical engineering.

After doing three years in one or then other you could then get a position as an apprentice and only serve 4 years as such, but it had to be with a Gov approved employer.

[robpage]

Because of The Apprentice Levy now imposed on employers it is a hot subject in the UK. Listening to a debate on the radio this week you can actually get an apprenticeship in Fast Food cooking in other words you can be an apprentice burger flipper I personally think that is taking the mickey out of what apprenticeships were about

[j.sabourn]

Can you go further Rob and maybe get a. Degreei in it ? JWS.

[cappy]

Can you go further Rob and maybe get a. Degreei in it ? JWS.

###got a degree in tattie peeling when galley boy .....it was the third degree ...from the chief stupid....why were all the tatties ending up square ......cappy

[vic mcclymont]

Companies paid a training levy in the sixties, nothing new. The levy was apprentices to attend Technical Colleges.
Apprentices were required to attend the college, failure to attend sack.
Vic