How many did an apprenticeship?

[paulrbarnard]

The thread on modern apprenticships made me wonder how many here did an apprentiship.

I'll start. I did a four year apprenticeship as an electronics technician starting in 1976. I did it with a company called TI-Crypton who made engine analysis equipment. It actually finished up taking me five years to complete the four years as they sent me to do a degree on a thin sandwich course that was six months at college and six months in the factory. First year was at Bridgwater college full time doing machining, welding, fabrication, electrical wiring plus a day a week doing an ONC in electrical and electronic engineering. The next two years were spent six months at a time in each department of the company, so time in the metal shop using all the equipment there, paint shop, electronic PCB assembly, equipment assembly and test. I even spent time in sales and accounting. The final year (spread over two years) was in the R&D department working on future products.

It was the best decision I ever made going the apprenticeship route rather than academia.

 

[Argus]

When they ask if you remember what you were doing when Kennedy was shot, I can say with some certainty that I do.

I was working as a projectionist in a flea-pit cinema and found out when I got home at about 10:30.

I'd left school that summer at 15 (you could do that then) and that job was what came up when I was frog-marched down to the Labour-Exchange. I was suppose to be the 'assistant', sweeping the floor and making the tea, but the 'real' projectionist was set on doing other things and soon left. As they found that I could run the thing on my own I was left to get on with it.

I think that my mother wrote lots of letters and kicked a few doors down and by that Christmas the Beatles had " I Wanna Hold You Hand" in the charts and I had a brush and Tea-pot as the first part of an Electrician's Apprenticeship....... basically strangling wires in peoples' houses.

I stuck with it and as the electrical side of that firm went west, I moved over to the Refrigeration division which prospered as did I in that trade, on the tools, here, the Middle East, later flying a desk and moving up the temperature range to what then was termed high temperature work, or Air Conditioning.

Before all the modern boxes of tin-and-wind took over, the process of cooling and processing air had some real engineering to it with some very big bits of machinery.

As well as all that I did a bit of wood-working on the side to the point where it took over when I eased myself out of a senior corporate grease-pit and started to alter direction.

So, yes, as a Secondary Modern alumnus, I had an old-fashioned, craft apprenticeship, then worked at an industry that was in its interesting and expanding stages in some interesting parts of the world, largely inaccessible now and then moved on out.

 

[Sandyn]

I didn't do an apprenticeship, I went to university to study Electronics. The 'IN' subject at that time and a thriving industry in Central Scotland. When I left school, the GPO was one of the main employers in the area, But I wanted to get as far away as possible!! lol.
I realised that school changed once you reached a certain age and was really enjoyable. The teachers that were absolute bas****s in early years turned out to be really nice guys and treated me with respect, so I repeated my 6th year to get better results in some subjects, but I had half the week free and came and went as I pleased . In school at that time, we did woodwork, metalwork and all the other technical stuff. I really enjoyed those subjects. We used all the standard machines in woodwork and metalwork, so it gave me confidence to use them. University was a Sandwich course, my first industrial period at Marconi Space and Defence in Stanmore where I worked on the development of the Sea Wolf missile. Because I had a bit of experience with metal work, one of the first tasks I was given was to make a microstrip 5GHz transmitter using a milling machine. It's amazing how just a tiny bit of knowledge can open doors. That's where I saw the first valve computer. It filled a room and had a patch panel like a telephone exchange.
My first permanent job was at Marconi Space and Defence in Scotland. Because I was from the north of Scotland I was given a re-location grant of £14 a week for the first 6 months and £7 a week for the next 6 months. Tax free!!!! I couldn't believe it. I went from being a poor student to having a lot of beer money! I then spent 25+ years in the defence industry developing some amazing technology. Missile systems, Laser rangefinders, thermal fire control systems, periscopes and masts. The next 25+ years was mainly in computer development, digital microwave systems and a mixture of other technologies.

I think the University sandwich courses were very good. You got real work experience in real companies and got paid for it. In a way it was half apprentice ship and half University. Best of both worlds, but sometimes the industrial experience might not be in Electronics, but any work experience is good.

 

[Doug B]

Left school with an o level in woodwork & the school prize for woodwork that was all I had to show for 11 years in education I wasn’t exactly academic, ironically I never made the sixth form but played rugby for there team for the last couple of years I was at school.

On leaving school I joined the family business & it was decided I’d do an apprenticeship in plumbing, surprisingly I really enjoyed that. If I remember correctly the first year was full time at college which equated to two years of the apprenticeship after that another 2 years day release.

After which I did very little plumbing for a good few years as we worked mainly on refurbishing old theatres which for me involved first & second fix carpentry, plastering & wall & floor tiling.
You really did have to turn your hand to anything on those jobs, that said I worked with some great old boys who were more than happy to pass on their knowledge if it meant I was also doing work they should have been doing but I was keen & it’s held me in good stead.

I worked for my dad for nearly 16 years I was his last employee when he finished that was nearly 24 years ago since then I’ve worked for myself doing loads of differing jobs, including subbing to joinery firms, furniture companies, house builders but over the last 10 or so years I’ve built up a nice customer base locally which means very little traveling & a steady workload.