There would seem to be some fundamental differences between apprenticeships in the US vs Britain and her ex Colonies and Dominions.
In Britain in the past one was ‘indentured’ at an early age, perhaps 12 or 13, to a Master, who became
in loco parentis. These apprenticeships lasted 7 years, that is until one reached the age of majority, at 21.
No salary, just board and lodging. Many apprentices were chained to their benches to stop them running away in the 18C, but that was banned in 1947. [ joke
].
Of course, these apprenticeships were actually slavery in real terms- and many ‘indentured’ boys wound up in the colonies as unpaid labor....
Fifty years before I was indentured, one’s parents paid the Master to train
you! You got paid zilch.
By the time I was apprenticed we at least got paid
something.
I started on 4s3d per hour = £8 10s 0d a week, say US $17 at today’s rate, and finished on £14 10s 0d a week, but my employer was of a generous disposition. I gave Ma about 2/3rds of my take home and still managed to run a series of large motorcycles and assorted girlfriends.
Once out of my time however, my pay shot up to £26 a week, which was a very good pay-packet in the mid sixties.
I just dug out my Deed of Apprenticeship indentures. [ no, not my false teeth!].
It says I shall
“Faithfully serve the Master, his secrets keep and his lawful commands obey;
Do no damage to the Master nor his Goods…
Not waste the Goods of the Master….nor absent myself from the Master’s Service without leave.
In all things behave myself as a Faithful Apprentice towards the Master and others having authority over me."It also says my mother had to pay ‘nil’ for my training!
The years served had dropped to 5 - the official UK school leaving age being raised to 16.
In the eighties the terms dropped to 3 years. How anyone was supposed to get a Full Tech Cert or an HNC in 3 years is beyond me.
How does it work in America?
Alan
