Hello mumsie
Everyone who wants to go into a trade has to serve time so to speak before they are fully trained for the job as they do now.Depending on the trade some apprenticeships took years some months.In your ancestors case he would most probably would have worked in a tailors when young to learn the trade.As far as know he would have been given a piece of paper/certificate to say he was a qualified tailor.If they did give them in those days
Celia
Hello Celia,
I was an indentured apprentice at the age of 14, and my my father signed papers that he would see I carried out my training to the full.
The apprenticeship was for
7 YEARS In those days it was neccessary to go to Night School, and as I was being trained as a Textile apprenticed Loom Overlooker the course I was on was compatable with general engineering workshop practice, which involved Maths, Trigonometry lograthyms, Algebra. Technical Drawing to draughting standards, and the use of lathe.
The aim was to get through the Night School Courses to eventually gain the Higher National Certificate at the age of 21 when you were then considered a
MANThe rest of the training was in the workshop and in the Weaving sheds and of course it was essential to know all about Weaving, and I was taught by highly skilled women weavers at first until, I was able to weave on my own.
The Foreman Overlooker was my tutor, and gave me tasks on maintaining & repairing looms and in some cases
MAKING parts not readily available due to WW2..
As WW2" was well under way, I would soon be conscripted into the Forces I volunteered at 17½, but under the law, my apprenticehip was protected and would continue after serving, and fortunately for me I had 12 weeks rehabilatation course at Göttingen Unv' Germany in their massive Engineering Workshop, whilst with the Occupation Forces, with dozens of other apprentice tradesmen.
Its a long story, but suffice to say, the training in those days was very precise, and today when I talk to the youngsters they often ask, Oh where did you learn that??
..........and I answer A levels O levels.....what are they I ask ??
Kind regards
Raphael
UK & Germany