What is an apprentice?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline the different types and features of apprenticeships available in the 1950s.

Design/methodology/approach

The term “apprenticeship” has lost the weight it had when it was originally conceived in the sixteenth century, and has now (at the time of writing) become a blanket term. It covers: temporary and transient positions – messengers, lorry‐drivers' mates, etc.; juvenile workers – assembly line work (little or no training) and “genuine apprentices” – including craft/trade apprenticeships, student or technical apprenticeships, and graduate apprenticeships. People are assigned to a grade of apprenticeship based on how a person achieves in the national educational system.

Findings

Apprenticeships vary in terms of: length of training, content, future career progression possibilities and education provided. It is suggested that the industry joined and training provided, alongside the opportunities available may be more valuable to a school leaver than an “apprenticeship”.

Originality/value

This paper provides a useful look on the role of an apprentice in the 1950s.

Citation

Hawkins, T.H. (2008), "What is an apprentice?", Education + Training, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 24-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910810855441