8016 ------ EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THE ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES (•fornell Hittorstty IGthraty Sttjaca, 53 cm Dutfc BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF HENRY W. SAGE 1891 Cornell University Library T 65.B86 Education & training for the electrical 3 1924 004 675 405 EDUCATION & TRAINING FOR THE ELECTRICAL & ALLIED ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES BEING A REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH ELECTRICAL AND ALLIED MANU- FACTURERS' ASSOCIATION (INCORP.) LONDON EDWARD ARNOLD 1920 All rights reserved THE B.E.A.M.A. EDUCATION COMMITTEE A. P. M. Fleming [Chairman), O.B.E., M.Se., M.I.E.E. A. B. Evdrest, M.I.E.E. W. McDermott, M.I.M.M. E. W. Paul, M.I.E.E. A. H. Bailing, M.I.E.E. H. C. SlDDELEY. M. G. S. Swallow, M.I.E.E. A. Vines, M.A. {Cantab.), M.I.E.E. F. Wallis, M.A. (Oxon.), M.I.E.E. V. Watlington, AC.G.L, M.I.E.E. C. A. Wbekes (Barr.), Secretary to the Committee. PREFACE The Council of the Association appointed a Committee during the war with terms of reference, in effect, as follows: To consider the whole subject of technical education in the electrical and allied industries and to suggest a uniform system. That work, begun towards the close of 1917 and completed last autumn, was quickly seen to involve — like most present-day industrial efforts — an effort towards co-ordination and standardization in a field where operations were wide and an immense amount of un- related work had already been done: that is to say, the collection and collation of iii iv PREFACE data from all sources bearing on present practice in the training of all grades of workers, manual and non-manual, and its reduction to a uniform, easily apprehended system. The result, as presented to the members of the Association, received from them so large a measure of support as to warrant its reproduction in permanent form, and it is now published to serve (in the words of the Committee) " as a guide to engineering firms, whether within or without the Association, which undertake or contemplate undertaking the education of apprentices." No changes of principle, or in the practice recommended, have been made in the text. Saving a little editorial work, it is now published as originally written. The Council desire to express their acknow- ledgments to the members of their Committee, the responsible authors of the Report. In PKEFACE v particular, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. A. P. M. Fleming, O.B.E., has by his energy and zeal earned their especial thanks. King's House, London, W.C. 2. October 16, 1919. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924004675405 CONTENTS PAGES INTRODUCTOEY - . . 9-17 Aim and Scope — Exclusions — Basic Principles — Relation of Industry to Education — Classi- fication of Apprentices. TRADE APPRENTICES - - - 18-30 General Education — Existing Pre-Apprentice- ship Instruction — Selection for Apprenticeship ■ — Supervision — Practical Training during Trade Apprenticeship — Continuation Education — Status at Termination of Apprenticeship — Promotion. ENGINEERING APPRENTICES - - 31-35 Standard of General Education — Selection of Apprentices — Practical Training during Appren- ticeship — Continuation Education — Promotion. STUDENT APPRENTICES - 36-39 Standard of General Education — Selection of Apprentices — Practical Training during Appren- ticeship — Continuation Education. RESEARCH APPRENTICES 40 SCHOLARSHIPS .... 41.56 Introductory — Existing Scholarship Facilities — Scholarships required for the Electrical In- dustry — Conclusions. SUMMARY OP RECOMMENDATIONS - 57-64 INTRODUCTORY 1. Aim and Scope. — The aim of this Eeport is to lay down the main lines upon which the education and training of the manual and technical workers in the electrical manufac- turing and allied industries should proceed. The word " education " as used throughout this Report carries its ordinary meaning of individual development through intellectual, moral, and physical instruction; and the word " training " is limited in sense strictly to practical instruction in the shops. The training of workers is of paramount importance to the electrical industry, which requires a relatively large proportion of its workers of all grades to be highly trained. Only through the training of all grades of workers can manufacture, design, selling, and research advance together, and the highest degree of technical skill in design and research be supported by the best possible craftsmanship and the greatest economy in manufacture. 9 10 INTRODUCTORY Any scheme of education and training for the electrical industry will naturally be directed towards the making of good citizens as well as efficient workers; and we have given due consideration to the social changes which may be anticipated, and of the need for a clearer understanding between employers and em- ployed. Electrical manufacture is widely distributed geographically, and some localities enjoy educational facilities which are not common to the whole country. It is desirable that such existing facilities be fully utilized, and this has been borne in mind in preparing this Report. 2. Exclusions. — While, as already stated, this Report aims at laying down the lines of a complete scheme for the education and training of all grades of workers preparing for and engaged in the electrical and allied indus- tries, it has been found necessary to exclude, for the time being, three special grades from consideration. The first of these are the youths who enter industry as unskilled workers. Their needs will be met to some extent by a scheme of compulsory continuation education such as is INTKODUCTOKY 11 provided for by the Education Act, 1918. It is important that opportunities should be given such boys to become apprenticed to engineering trades if they show the requisite qualities. Secondly, the education of adult workers, who are of such age as to render formal trade instruction difficult to impart, is a problem of some importance. Much can be done to broaden the minds of such workers by classes in general educational subjects. In this way it may be possible to inculcate sound economic ideas. Lastly, the present lack of suitable facili- ties for technical and practical education has rendered it impossible to deal fully with the question of women, and to apply to them the same conclusions as for men with respect to technical education and training. At the same time, we are of the opinion that they should not be debarred from any positions in industry for which they can be fitted by training and experience. Each of these questions — the education of the unskilled and semi-skilled worker, the education of the older men, and the position and education of women in industry — is of 12 INTRODUCTORY such importance as to warrant special con- sideration at a later date. 3. Basic Principles. — It cannot be too often repeated that the detecting of latent capacity in workers, with the developing and utilizing of this capacity to its utmost, is of cardinal importance in any educational system. Every recommendation must embody the principle of selecting and training each worker for the position to be filled, and of offering abundant opportunities for obtaining the necessary experience and training, either academic or industrial, to those who are capable of rising to more responsible positions. The industry and the State are no less interested in this policy than the individual immediately con- cerned. Ample provision is, therefore, here suggested for scholarships and bursaries to- wards that end. For every grade of worker, whether manual or technical, the fundamental requirements are suitable general education and sound physique. Careful selection is necessary, so that entry to the industry is based on in- herent fitness, and that those selected may take up the branch of 'work which appears to afford them the best opportunity of making use of their special abilities. INTRODUCTORY 13 4. Relation of Industry to Education. — If industry is to undertake its appropriate share of responsibility towards education, it should be represented on committees concerned with primary, higher, and technical education, after-care, and juvenile employment. Such representation is of pressing importance, in view of the schemes in contemplation by the Education Act, 1918. Any organization set up in a Works to deal with education should be in close touch with any Works Committee which may be formed on the lines of the Whitley Report. 5. Classification of Subjects. — As shown in the following Table, we divide apprentices into four classes — viz., Trade Apprentices, Engin- eering Apprentices, Student Apprentices, and Research Apprentices; and indicate briefly, as a preliminary to our main examination of the subject, the chief distinctions upon which the classification is based. 6. Trade Apprentices. — Boys enter Works as trade apprentices, usually between the ages of 14 and 16, and are drawn mainly from the primary, higher elementary, junior-technical, and lower secondary schools. 14 INTKODUCTORY m W o H Ph Ph -«) Ph O O i— ( H 23 HH P=) I— I 02 32 a bo c3 • i >2 4- go* ill § S fe n .ill I O ft "d ft cS-«$ o ° sa MM 2 •S a a £ ° a I g o SO Mi B •I.SU8 Ph Eh c3 Cy p » to Ph p o-h ts M C3 bo.o ■fi a ® g » ft w §£ a o g oo sciso -8 So B S .2 g a.S go 5 ^ — • m vi ■° * - -4-3 C3 t, "° »fci«uq o Eh Eh o © CO _ | ■I '3 a so o «-P .2 a SS CQ P O ■» « J" -p 02 a CD "5 «> Ph O 9 s ® (0 S-5 11 &o ^5 ft J3 ° CO & H « INTRODUCTORY 15 They are definitely trained to become skilled workmen in one of the engineering trades, such as fitting, turning, moulding, armature- winding. This training comprises practical experience in the trade, with appropriate con- tinuation education, and embraces, in some cases, experience in a closely allied trade. Such apprentices, for the most part, become skilled workmen, but, from their ranks, fore- men and leading hands may be drawn. Ap- prenticeship should last for a period of at least five years, commencing as from the age of 16, and in no case should the course be completed before the age of 21. 7. Engineering Apprentices. — Boys enter Works as engineering apprentices, usually between the ages of 16 and 18, and are drawn mainly from the higher secondary and public schools. They are definitely trained, through prac- tical experience and suitable technical edu- cation, for junior staff positions in the drawing office or the Works, or on the engineering, commercial, and erecting staffs. The period of apprenticeship should last for four years, commencing as from the age of 17, and in no case should the course be completed, before the age of 21. 16 TNTEODUCTOEY 8. Student Apprentices. — Young men, pre- ferably graduates in engineering, who have received full-time technical training at a university or suitable technical institution, enter Works usually between the ages of 19 and 22, at the conclusion of the technical course. They are definitely trained to undertake senior positions on the manufacturing, engin- eering, or commercial staffs, by a varied practical training which includes experience in each of these branches. The period of apprenticeship should nor- mally be three and in no case less than two years. The course should not, in any case, be completed before the age of 21. 9. Research Apprentices. — Student appren- tices who show special aptitude for scientific in- vestigation should be permitted, in the final year of their course, to obtain experience in carrying out investigations arising in Works practice. At the conclusion of the course they should preferably return to the university or enter the Works* or other laboratory for a post-graduate research course of at least one year, after which they are in a position to take INTRODUCTORY 17 up work in the research department of an industrial concern. It is highly desirable that the nomenclature used above should be restricted to the grades indicated. At present, great confusion arises through the indiscriminate application of the word " apprentice " to various grades of youths erigaged in shop operations, including apprentices proper, young repetition workers, and labourers. TKADE APPKENTICES 10. General Education. — The general educa- tion of trade apprentices should consist in an equilibrium between intellectual studies and practical activities (including manual and physical training and organized games), so arranged as to encourage the growth of civic and social ideals. It should not be specialized in any direction with respect to practical studies, trades, or hobbies, but should be directed towards the development of human beings of character and intelligence. In choosing subjects for the purpose of general education, their varying values from the industrial point of view might be borne in mind, and those selected which will enable a sound foundation to be laid for subsequent vocational training. 11. There is room for considerable improve- ment in primary education, much of which is at present stultified by the size of the classes, the early withdrawal of pupils, and, frequently, 18 TKADE APPKENTICES 19 by the insufficient training of teachers. More attention could advantageously be given to manual training, including freehand and per- spective drawing. 12. Existing Pre-apprenticeship Instruction. —The youth of 12-13, who is in attendance at a primary school and who is not able or willing to pass to a secondary school, demands special consideration. It is generally agreed that this consideration has, until recently, been withheld, and that the period between the ages of 12 and 14 has usually been very inefficiently spent. The raising of the school-leaving age to 14 will make it necessary to arrange for the special tuition of all boys between these ages. While we are opposed to specialization, we are of the opinion that nothing is lost educationally by paying special attention to such subjects of general education as mathematics, elementary science, English, economic history, and geo- graphy, which would be particularly helpful to the future apprentice. In general, we believe that the actual subject or part of the subject taught is less important at this age than the manner in which it is treated, because the boy chiefly needs instruction in clear and 20 TEADE APPKBNTICES logical ways of thinking, in the practical arts, and in team-work. 13. For this education, various schools are now provided, although at present in exceed- ingly small numbers, such as junior technical schools, higher elementary and central schools. The first is virtually a lower secondary school with a somewhat practical curriculum for boys who propose to enter the skilled trades. The workshops commonly attached to such schools are not intended as a means of trade training. Since they develop co-ordination between the various faculties they are purely educational. 14. Such schools afford a means by which the primary scholar may make more use of his concluding school years than is possible in the ordinary elementary school, on which, in our opinion, they represent a considerable improvement, although, the various types are imperfectly co-ordinated both with the pri- mary school and with each other. More- over, such schools are found only in certain localities, and the problem of providing sufficient numbers of them for all industrial areas is urgent. 15. Boys should be advised to attend schools of this type where attendance is possible, TEADE APPBENTICES 21 particularly junior technical schools, and should be encouraged to stay to the end of the course. The course may be extended with advantage to the age of 16. Such boys should, when they enter Works, be placed under no disadvantage as compared with boys from the primary school who have entered industry at an earlier age, with respect to rate of payment, etc.; on the other hand, the superior quality of their education should be so obvious that no additional material encouragement should be necessary during apprenticeship. 16. Selection. — The character of the work done in the electrical trades is such that the highest intelligence available from the primary schools is required. In order to raise the standard it is necessary that the supply should greatly exceed the demand, and some method of discriminating between the more and the less intelligent youths is thus required. 17. Selection is now usually made by means of personal interview, supplemented in some cases by written examination. Much more exacting methods of a less general and more personal character are required. Pending 22 TRADE APPEENTICES their development, the most satisfactory means available is that of a trial period in a Works after careful selection by interview or examination. 18. We are of the opinion that a trial period is very desirable, as some boys may not be fitted for industrial work, while, in certain cases, time is required for those boys who do not find their particular bent immediately to have an opportunity of trying various trades. 19. Supervision.— A suitably trained officer should be made responsible for the selection and supervision of apprentices. Such an officer, who may be chosen from the Works staff, and who need not devote full time to this work, would be able to undertake the interviewing and testing of candidates for apprenticeship, and would be a most satis- factory link between the Works and the Local Education Authority and After- Care Com- mittee. 20. The Apprentice Supervisor may also appropriately organize games, in order to foster esprit de corps among apprentices, and to help them to provide, by sports, entertain- ments, concerts, rambling clubs, scouting, and TRADE APPRENTICES 23 magazines, rational ways in which their leisure can be spent. 21. It is recommended that, after initial assistance, apprentices be allowed to do the major part of this work themselves on their own responsibility, the Apprentice Supervisor giving all the encouragement and sympathy possible, and securing the interest, where desirable, of other members of the Works staff. 22. It is desirable that provision be made for keeping a list of recommended lodgings for boys who come from a distance, and that attention be given to the well-being of appren- tices out of Works hours, if desired by parents. 23. We would emphasize the vital impor- tance of adequate records of the entry and progress in shops and school of all apprentices in the Works. These are of great value in estimating the use the apprentice makes of his course and in deciding as to promotion. The Apprentice Supervisor should take charge of these records. If arranged systematically on a definite plan, they do not take up undue time. Standard forms for entry and progress would enable firms readily to exchange in- 24 TEADE APPRENTICES formation relating to apprentices on a uni- versally accepted basis. 24. Practical Training. — There has hitherto been great laxity in Works in the matter of practical training, which has not kept pace with the requirements of modern industry. Training is primarily called for because one specific trade has to be taught. Conse- quently, the period of apprenticeship should be confined in the main to obtaining ex- perience in that one trade. It is important that firms should not undertake the training of apprentices for any given trade unless their Works facilities permit. 25. To eliminate the casual character of much so-called practical trainirjg, it is neces- sary to set up a definite plan of procedure for each trade practised in each workshop, and appropriate to the tools and equipment avail- able there. The shop foreman should be specifically charged with the duty and respon- sibility of training apprentices in shop opera- tions, and should be given all the assistance which can be afforded by the Apprentice Supervisor. The precise character of the training for the different trades, and the TRADE APPRENTICES 25 particular curriculum to be followed, could be standardized throughout the trade by conference between the Apprentice Super- visors belonging to the leading Works, with such other persons as they might choose to advise them. 26. Continuation Education. — Continuation education is an essential part of a rational scheme of apprentice training. Modern industrial conditions, by reason of the ever-widening range of tools, materials, and processes employed, and by the greater subdivision and increasingly intensive char- acter of labour, are such that the necessary knowledge of any given trade cannot be obtained through purely manual experience, and there can be no doubt that much valuable trade knowledge can be imparted by the ordinary methods of classroom instruction and demonstration, particularly in the funda- mental laws underlying the practise of the trade. Such instruction also enables the workman to learn the purpose of trades allied to his own, and, by teaching him to appre- ciate his own function in the whole sequence of manufacture, arouses a stimulating interest beneficial in combating mental fatigue arising from repetition operations. 26 TRADE APPRENTICES 27. The instruction may be given, in the case of firms having a sufficient number of apprentices, at a Works school situated on the Works premises. Such a school would be staffed by members of the Works staff who are able and qualified to undertake instruction, assisted by foremen and other trade experts who can provide the necessary instruction in trade processes. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the object of the trade apprentice course is to train workmen. The practical training and the vocational part of the continuation educa- tion of such apprentices should be specifically directed towards this end. A type of educa- tion practically unknown in this country therefore requires development, and the Works school possesses conspicuous advantages by reason of the co-ordination which can be established between the work of the school and actual practice. 28. Works schools give other excellent results. They permit a close relation to be established, on the one hand, between appren- tices themselves and, on the other, between apprentices and staff; and they facilitate the selection of promising boys for promotion. TEADE APPKENTICES 27 The arrangements for leisure activities are simplified and special provision for boys' welfare is rendered unnecessary. 29. Where a group of small firms in any district have common trades, a co-operative Works school may conveniently be formed, with the assistance of the Local Education Authority, at a common centre, to serve the needs of the group. 30. Any continuation education under the Education Act, 1918, not provided at the Works, will probably be given at a school built, staffed, and controlled by the Local Education Authority. Such schools will find it difficult to arrange classes to suit apprentices of any given trade, partly owing to difficulties with respect to staff, and partly owing to the mixed character of the classes. 31. Much continuation education will still be carried on by evening classes, and it is not suggested that these should be abolished or their activities curtailed. They do excellent work for all grades of workers, and should be maintained to meet special needs while there is a demand, but on a purely voluntary basis. 32. Status at Termination of Apprenticeship. — We are of the opinion that a great stimulus 28 TRADE APPRENTICES would be given to the work of the average apprentice by providing him with a definite object to be attained at the end of his course, such as examination or other test of his ability. By making apprenticeship a necessary pre- liminary to the practise of a trade, the latter would itself acquire a definite status. 33. The standard of attainment of each apprentice at the end of his apprenticeship should be determined from records of work done in the shop and in the school, and, if desirable, by his craft skill as shown by a piece of work done or exhibited. Such a standard of attainment in any trade could be suitably judged by a small committee nomin- ated by the Works Committee. 34. Under modern conditions of training, experience may indicate the desirability of shortening the apprentice period. 35. Promotion. — If an industry is to be maintained in a healthy condition, all those employed in it should feel that it affords them opportunities of developing their special capa- cities to the utmost. This can best be secured by a definite system of promotion whereby workers are advanced according to ability. As regards trade apprentices, ability is best TRADE APPRENTICES 29 rewarded by providing facilities for technical training, such as day technical classes, at the Works or municipal technical school; and the best means of selecting apprentices suitable for promotion is found in the Works school. 36. While it may be inconvenient to transfer an apprentice direct from one grade to another, it is comparatively easy to give him the privilege of extended opportunities for the practical and technical training open to other grades. The practical experience of many apprentices will be of most use in the shops in positions such as charge hands, inspectors, and testers, and they should be encouraged to remain in the shops and drawing offices rather than to take up junior positions on the tech- nical or commercial sides. 37. In view of the importance of training foremen with a broad outlook and real execu- tive ability, special attention should be directed to the selection of capable youths during the earlier years of apprenticeship, and putting them under an appropriate course of training. 38. A very small number of trade appren- tices will be found fitted for a full university course, for which scholarships are required; but doubtless this capacity will be revealed 30 TEADE APPRENTICES after they have had experience of the char- acter afforded by the engineering apprentice course, the conditions of which are given below. 39. The wages of apprentices should be such that they are under no disadvantage on ordinary day rates compared with shop boys of similar age. ENGINEERING APPRENTICES 40. The higher quality of the education of the public school or secondary school boy is an asset in enabling him to fill certain positions in industry, either in the drawing offices or in junior staff positions on the manufacturing, technical, or commercial side. A special course should be planned to meet his require- ments, and this may appropriately cover a period of four years. He should not, how- ever, complete the course before the age of 21, though some latitude may be permitted where the apprentice has some special quali- fications which are not, however, sufficient to admit him to the course for technically trained students referred to later. It is very important that engineering apprentices should seize every opportunity of obtaining technical knowledge, as they are at a considerable disadvantage later in life if reliance is placed solely on general education 31 32 ENGINEERING APPRENTICES and personal qualities to secure advancement in the engineering profession. 41. It is becoming increasingly customary for public school and secondary school boys to have a year's experience of a suitable training course in a Works before proceeding to a university. This enables each boy to find out where his interests lie, and it estab- lishes a connection between the youth and the Works which may subsequently be mutually advantageous. After such a period, the college course is followed much more intelli- gently. 42. Standard of General Education. — It is desirable that all youths entering a Works from a public or secondary school should have attained a standard of general education equivalent at least to that demanded by the matriculation examination. We are of the opinion that boys who propose to enter the engineering industry should give special atten- tion to the study of mathematics and science. Education obtained in those schools providing an engineering side cannot be accepted in lieu either of the practical training of the Works or of higher technical training. ENGINEEKING APPEENTICES 33 43. Selection. — Selection of this class of apprentice should be based on sound moral character and general intelligence, and should be accompanied by examination of academic qualifications, school records, and by personal interview, followed by a probationary period in the Works. In order to attract the requisite number of youths of this type to industrial Works, steps should be taken to place before all public and secondary schools an outline of the nature of employment in the industry, its prospects and advantages. Visits to Works should be encouraged, and lectures to schools should be given by members of the staff. 44. Practical Training. — Practical training is nob directed towards making engineering apprentices into skilled workmen, and hence the course should be designed to enable the boy to understand the nature of various manu- facturing processes, including the design, testing, and performance of machines and apparatus, Works organization, and selling, rather than to give him manipulative skill. The apprentice should, therefore, be per- mitted to obtain experience in manufacturing and testing departments and in drawing, 34 ENGINEERING APPRENTICES design, or commercial offices. The sequence of such training, and the duration of stay on any type of work, should be regulated by the Apprentice Supervisor, who should be in close touch with every apprentice of this grade. It is particularly important that every means should be taken to develop the sense of re- sponsibility of this apprentice during his course of training. 45. Some form of recognition at the ter- mination of an approved course of training, such as a certificate generally recognized by employers, is desirable, and would secure an improvement in the status of the engineer trained as an apprentice in this grade. 46. Continuation Education. — The period of practical training should be accompanied by technical education, which, where facilities permit, should be obtained in a part-time course, preferably in the daytime. After a thorough grounding in the usual elements of technical science, the apprentice may be instructed specifically in that branch of work which he is to take up. 47. Promotion. — It is desirable that appren- tices showing exceptional ability should be ENGINEERING APPRENTICES 35 provided with facilities for attending a full university course in engineering, for which scholarships should be available. 48. Special provision should be made for apprentices who proceed to a university after having been promoted from a trade or engin- eering apprentice course in a Works. Some modifications of the matriculation examina- tion may be desirable in order that they may not be debarred from graduation at the end of the university course. 49. Scholarships should be available for youths leaving the secondary school who may advantageously take a university course. For scholarships designed to encourage entry to engineering, a year in the Works, before going to college, may be made a preliminary condition of acceptance of the scholarship. 50. Apprentices of this grade should be encouraged to enter the Institution of Elec- trical Engineers in the Students' Section and to prepare for the examination for Associate Membership. STUDENT APPEENTICES 51. The higher staff and more responsible officers of an engineering organization are now recruited in the main from men who have received full technical training at a university or technical institution. The need for attract- ing men to the higher branches of the industry renders it imperative not only to abolish the premium system, but to remunerate men during the apprenticeship period at such a rate as will ensure maintenance. 52. Standard of General Education. — Appren- tices in this class should have taken a full technological course in engineering, and, pre- ferably, should have graduated in engineering in the Honours division. Where university courses are commenced after the intermediate examination this can be done in three years. Existing technical courses aim chiefly at providing designers, but it is becoming in- creasingly necessary that the standard of the university courses should be raised, and that 36 STUDENT APPEENTICES 37 they should adequately provide in the con- cluding years for the main divisions of modern engineering practice, namely, design, research, commercial work, and industrial organization, including management. 53. It is desirable that all engineering students at a university should enter into the full collegiate life, as the experience thereby gained is of real advantage in an industrial career. 54. Scholarships should be available for those who desire and who are fitted to under- take a post-graduate research course. 55. Selection. — The technical and academic qualifications of a university graduate are well defined, and personal qualities can only be properly appraised by interview. 56. Of those student apprentices who, after apprenticeship, take up commercial work, a small number may be ultimately selected to act as overseas representatives of British manufacturers to conduct negotiations and sales for their principals. Such men must possess considerable resource and technical skill, together with a knowledge of languages and of the technique of commerce, so as to be 38 STUDENT APPRENTICES able to appraise the possibilities of markets for electrical manufactures. 57. Practical Training. — Practical training for student apprentices should be normally of three and in no case of less than two years' duration, covering experience in manufactur- ing and testing departments and in com- mercial or designing offices. They should proceed systematically through a group of related departments, so as to obtain a broad view of the whole field of manufacture. During the last year they should obtain experience in the branch of work for which they are best fitted, either commercial, technical, or Works organization. 58. Continuation Education. — The student apprentice should, where possible, add syste- matically to his knowledge by taking special courses, such as are now provided at the larger technical schools, in management or in specialized technical work. Special courses at schools of commerce are also desirable in some cases. His attendance should not be confined to continuation classes concerned only with his speciality. Where no advanced technical courses are available, much may be STUDENT APPKENTICES 39 done through an engineering club or society connected with the Works, and holding regular meetings for lectures and discussions. 59. All student apprentices should be awarded a certificate on successful completion of the course, as a recognition of apprentice- ship ; and those who have taken a full techni- cal course should apply for membership of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in the Students' Section. 39 RESEARCH APPRENTICES 60. Research has now become an essential factor in industrial progress, and it is neces- sary to make special provision-for the training of research workers. UniveMJ*y graduates showing special aptitude for scientific in- vestigation should be selected for this work, preferably from those who, to acquire practical experience, enter Works as student appren- tices. 61. In the last year of their apprenticeship such student apprentices should devote atten- tion to investigations arising in industrial practice. They may then return to the university for a year to undertake post- graduate research, or obtain equivalent ex- perience in an industrial research organization. The Works experience is necessary because it affords that knowledge of industrial condi- tions which is required by anyone taking up engineering research. 40 SCHOLARSHIPS 62. Introductory. — The scholarship system is an endeavour to approximate to the ideal of equal educational opportunity for all members of the community by providing means whereby young people of proved merit are enabled to secure education and training which otherwise they could not afford. In this Report the term " scholarship " is employed in no narrow or purely academic sense, but as denoting such assistance, whether provided by private individuals, by manufac- turers or their Associations, by Municipalities or the State, for the purpose of enabling young people to advice to a higher standard in a recognized course of technical education or practical training. Immediate limits are set only by the capacity of the individual to profit by the training and ultimate limits by the requirements of the industry itself. 63. The defects of the present system are mimerous. Through inequalities arising from 41 42 SCHOLARSHIPS local endowments and the failure of some local education authorities to exercise their per- missive powers, opportunity has been far from uniform, and in some areas candidates have been unduly handicapped. In many of the old foundations, and scarcely less so in the new, scholarships obtainable by open competition have been too freely regarded is honours to be won, and too frequently awardld irrespec- tive of the financial resources of successful candidates. The system operates almost en- tirely through academic examinations, and this tends to encourage one particular type of student — a type by no means necessarily qualified for success in industrial life — at the expense of others. 64. In spite of these drawbacks, the scholarship system has so far justified its existence as to warrant extension, particularly in view of the need of industry for intelligent workers and highly trained leaders, and as furnishing the machinery whereby the principle of upward mobility (suggested in the earlier part of this Report) may operate. Intrinsically, scholarships promote the ac- quisition of knowledge and stimulate young people to efforts towards a praiseworthy end. SCHOLARSHIPS 43 A conscientious and careful teacher can do much to minimize the bad results which may- ensue during the period of preparation; and competent examiners can so arrange questions that they will test power of observation and deduction, intelligence, and ability to utilize knowledge, rather than skill in the mechanical reproduction of the syllabus prescribed. 65. Hitherto the scholarship system in Great Britain has been directed almost ex- clusively towards encouraging students to enter the so-called learned professions — law, medicine, teaching, and the Church. Scholar- ships founded in recent years for the express -' purpose of encouraging those engaged in industry to obtain technical training have frequently merely provided recruits for the staffs of technical institutions and universities. 66. The need for better trained workers and leaders in industry is pressing. The Education Act, 1918, will raise to a higher level the stan- dard of primary education, and as a necessary corollary, greater facilities must be afforded for selecting and training that limited per- centage which will be engaged in directing the work of others, or in prosecuting work of a highly technical character. The ability to 44 SCHOLARSHIPS carry out such work is not confined to one section of the population. Generous opportu- nity is necessary for attracting and subsidizing youths of inherent capacity during the period of their acquisition of knowledge and experi- ence. Such promotion is rendered not less urgent by hitherto haphazard methods of training talented individuals, especially in view of the strenuous effort which industry will have to make if it is to deal successfully with post-war trade. In no single department of British engineering can it be stated that academic and practical experience have been perfectly combined to provide an ideal course of training. Further, the adoption of more scientific methods of management and inten- sive production will demand a larger proportion of non-manual workers than hitherto. The training of men for such posts will take con- siderable time, and it is imperative that it should be commenced immediately. The purpose of this portion of the Report is to indicate the means which should be adopted to meet the diverse needs of industry in order that the supply of trained individuals shall be at least equal to the future demand. SCHOLAESHIPS 45 67. Existing Scholarship Facilities. — Scholar- ships designed to permit young people to attend secondary and junior technical schools are offered, where these exist, by the Local Education Authority, which also frequently offers scholarships to the local university as well as to the older foundations. Many en- dowed secondary schools and the universities are able to offer scholarships from their own funds to attract promising students. 68. Secondary Schools. — The existing pro- vision of scholarships intended for boys who will be engaged in industrial work may be briefly outlined: Up to the age of 14 primary education is now compulsory and free, but those who go to secondary schools do so at the age of 11 or 12. In grant-earning municipal and county secondary schools, admissions to the extent of about one-fourth of the annual entry are free, fees being remitted. Provision exists in a few cases for maintenance, either through a private foundation or through the Local Education Authority. In the case of grammar and other endowed schools and private schools, the age of entry is much less uniform than for grant-earning 46 SCHOLAESHIPS schools, and the number of scholarships available varies from school to school, but the State-aided schools supply industry to a much greater extent than other types. 69. Junior Technical Schools. — Junior tech- nical schools are as yet few in number and the provision of scholarships tenable there is consequently extremely limited; but in a few cases scholarships from primary schools, granting free tuition at these schools, are available. It is to be regretted that no out- let from junior technical schools exists apart from industry, corresponding to scholarships from secondary schools to universities, as there is good reason to suppose that many such students possess ability to profit by a course of senior technical instruction. 70. Universities. — There is an exceedingly limited provision of scholarships by universi- ties and technical institutions intended to permit secondary school pupils to attend university courses. In many cases the con- ditions of award compel the successful candi- date to graduate in a specified school or faculty, while in others the necessity for paying tuition fees, out of the small sum available, places an undue temptation on the student to SCHOLARSHIPS 47 graduate in the cheapest faculty. Since it is such faculties as engineering, chemistry, metal- lurgy, mining which, with the possible excep- tion of medicine, charge the highest fees, chiefly on account of the laboratory provision required, it is readily seen that industry is by this practice deprived of a number of potential workers who swell the ranks of teachers and lecturers. Several universities permit candi- dates from secondary schools to matriculate at the age of 16, but for many, especially women, this age of entry is premature; and it is necessary to bear in mind the importance of secondary scholarships being tenable to the age of entry to the universities, if the holders are expected to follow a university course. Students who wish to take a university course with a scholarship frequently obtain it in open competition either from trustees, from some foundation established by a private donor, or from a corporation such as that represented by the Local Education Authorities or City Companies; and generally it carries some restrictions with respect to residence, proposed course of training, etc. The annual value of scholarships awarded by education authorities to students entering the modern universities is about £36,000, the number being about 48 SCHOLAKSHIPS 250 to 300. The proportion of entrance scholarships actually offered by the modern uni- versities themselves, the connection of which with industry is much more intimate than that of the older foundations, is small. As, however, the obligations of modern universities, supported by local rates from their respective areas, are increasing, more entrance scholar- ships are being awarded. At present the number of scholarships awarded annually by the modern universities and university colleges is about 400, having a value of about £12,000, about one-fourth being specifically given for science and technology. Many universities endeavour to encourage research workers by awarding research scholarships to graduates, but the provision, though probably generous compared with the number of entrance scholarships, is still short of the need. 71. Other Foundations. — The Koyal Com- missioners for the Exhibition of 1851 have, since 1891, appointed annually twenty candi- dates, nominated by universities throughout the Empire, to the 1851 Eesearch Scholarships for research work in science. These scholar- ships, which are tenable for two years, may extend to three, the annual value being £150. SCHOLAKSHIPS 49 A large majority of these scholars, however, become engaged in educational work. 72. The Board of Education offers every year 20 Eoyal Scholarships entitling holders to free admission and £60 per annum main- tenance, and 11 free studentships which do not carry the maintenance allowance, to the Imperial College of Science and Technology, or the College of Science in Dublin. These scholarships are not restricted to any special type of candidate, but many secondary school scholars secure these scholarships, and it is debatable whether such students should not be excluded from these awards, until at any rate part-time students have been considered. 73. The Whitworth Scholarships, valued at £125 per annum for three years, and Exhibi- tions, valued at £50 for one year, are also awarded by the Board of Education to candi- dates who have practised as artisans in mechanical engineering for three years. 74. Kitchener Scholarships have been estab- lished for discharged officers and the children of officers killed in the war, for the purpose of enabling them to obtain a full course of train- ing, which may include university courses and 4 50 SCHOLAESHIPS practical Works or business experience, up to a maximum period of six years with a main- tenance allowance which may not exceed £175. 75. The Department of Scientific and In- dustrial Research has not formally established scholarships to promote research work, or stereotyped any conditions of award, but the principle of encouraging research workers has been tentatively accepted, and grants to individual workers have been made, chiefly on the recommendation of the Professor under whom they are working. The conditions of award are such as to ensure the grant being actually expended on the research. 76. Scholarships required for the Electrical Industry. — As has been already said, in the present state of British education, scholarships specifically direct students to the older pro- fessions rather than encourage their entry into industry; and where scholarships have been designed to encourage entrance into industry, the majority of holders have been absorbed into educational or Government employment. The Eoyal Commissioners for the Exhibi- tion of 1851 have, however, during the last SCHOLAESHIPS 51 few years, offered bursaries valued at £100 per annum to graduates entering industry, to maintain them during a period of appren- ticeship of not more than two years. This may be taken as an indication that provision is required to encourage men to enter industry by providing for their maintenance during the period of practical training. The conditions and responsibilities of, and the remuneration offered by, industrial em ployment must, therefore, be such as will attract and retain the services of the most able men. 77. The best foundation for any grade of industrial life is sound general education, and both primary and secondary education must be entirely free from specialization in any form. We attach considerable importance, there- fore, to the provision of a sufficient number and variety of school and college scholarships, particularly those leading from primary to secondary schools, and from the latter to the technological faculties of the universities and to technical institutions. These points are emphasized in the Interim Eeport of the Consultative Committee on Scholarships for Higher Education (Cd. 8992, 52 SCHOLARSHIPS 1916) and also in the Report of the Committee on the Position of Natural Science in the Educational System of Great Britain (Cd. 9011, 1918), with the general findings of both of which we are in cordial agreement. We would also recommend free entry to junior technical schools of all those, and only those, who reveal those characteristics necessary to skilled artisan engineering workers. 78. Trade Apprentice Scholarships. — A small percentage of those boys who enter industrial life at the age of 15 in order to become arti- sans may develop special capacity later than is usual, or reveal to an exceptional extent the characteristics demanded by industrial work. These boys will, in common with others, receive instruction for eight hours per week during the early years of their appren- ticeship. Youths who give evidence of special capacity, in the shops and in the work of the continuation classes, should be afforded oppor- tunities of further part-time study either in the Works or at local technical institutions, and should be given facilities for obtaining such varied shop experience as would be given to engineering apprentices. Thus they may qualify for posts as charge hands, foremen, SCHOLARSHIPS 53 inspectors, testers, draughtsmen, etc. The very small percentage of these selected youths, showing exceptional ability, should be per- mitted to attend full-time university courses, and thus obtain a proper technical education. Such boys will, in some areas, obtain scholar- ships by open competition; but manufacturers would be in a much better position to secure apprentices so trained for their own service at the completion of the university course if they established suitable scholarships themselves. Manufacturers also might arrange to remit the fees of selected students at evening classes, even after compulsory continuation education is established, so that the varied needs of the industry may be supplied through as many channels as possible, and the special circum- stances of individuals be amply provided for. 79. Engineering Apprentice Scholarships. — Apprentices from the public and higher secondary schools, who enter industry without technical training, will not, in many cases (for example, matriculated students), be compelled to attend continuation classes; but it is important that such youths should be provided with part-time day instruction of a technical character. Those young men who 54 SCHOLARSHIPS show promise on these courses, and in shop work, may be awarded university scholar- ships. 80. Scholarships for Student Apprentices. — Student apprentices who show special capacity for industrial research and investigation may be assisted to enter a national or other suitable laboratory, or to return to the university for training in research methods prior to being attached to the research department of the Works where such department exists. In some cases such men have been placed on the staff of the concern and permitted to work at the university while in receipt of full staff pay. The Association proposes to found a number of studentships and scholarships for graduate and other mature students for study of re- search in problems arising in mechanical and electrical engineering. It is confidently anticipated that this will encourage technic- ally trained students to fit themselves for employment on the engineering research staffs of industrial concerns. 81. Conclusions. — The main types of scholarships which manufacturers or their SCHOLARSHIPS 55 Associations should provide may be classified as follows : (i) Scholarships to part-time courses for selected trade apprentices who will be trained beyond the minimum of eight hours per week, and for engineering apprentices who will be exempt from the eight hours pro- vision. (ii) Entrance scholarships to universities and approved technical institutions to enable selected trade and engin- eering apprentices to obtain tech- nical training. (iii) Post-graduate scholarships to uni- versities, approved technical insti- tutions, Works, or national labora- tories, for research apprentices who will undertake research work. 82. It is not sufficient for manufacturers and their Associations, convinced of the need for advanced training of specially selected students, to accord a passive assent to the proposals herein outlined. They should not leave to the State the whole task of providing and awarding scholarships and of selecting suitable candidates. Training for industrial 56 SCHOLARSHIPS work involves two considerations: academic training at a technical institution or uni- versity; and practical training, which can only be effectively obtained through an ex- tended Works experience. The part manufacturers and their Associa- tions should play is twofold : the independent provision of scholarships for employees, who may thereby advance to higher industrial posts; and co-operation with education authorities, so that proper academic training of those entering the industry can be supple- mented by a period of Works experience. Manufacturers may therefore be confidently recommended to offer appropriate scholarships and to interest themselves in the number, type, and purpose of other industrial scholarships, the conditions of award, and the method of selecting candidates. In this way the industry will be laying a sound foundation for future development. 83. We have now considered the whole subject of education and training for the electrical and allied engineering industries, and suggested a uniform system; we append, in conclusion, a summary of our recommenda- tions. SUMMAEY OF KECOMMENDATIONS General. 1. Every member of the Association should provide special means for systematic training, suited to the different grades of apprentices for which he can properly provide. This training must be supplemented by facilities for the acquisition of general culture towards making good citizens. 2. Every member of the Association should endeavour to detect the latent capacity of workers, and to utilize it in the most effective manner through scholarships and promotion. 3. Apprenticeship courses should, for the present, conclude in all cases at the age of not less than 21. 4. The conditions of apprenticeship should be denned in an indenture signed by the employer's representative, the youth, and his parent or guardian. 5. The system of accepting premiums as pay men b for entry to apprenticeship and 57 58 SUMMAEY OF KECOMMENDATIONS pupilage should be abandoned in favour of a policy of freely encouraging ability irrespective of financial resources, and of making progress dependent solely on merit. 6. Members of the Association should be represented on the local committees responsible for the conduct of primary, secondary, and higher education, after-care, and juvenile employment. Trade Apprentices. 7. Each member should appoint a staff officer with the necessary qualifications, to undertake responsibility for the education, training, and welfare of apprentices, and give him the title of Apprentice Supervisor. 8. This training should consist in practical experience, and the education in appropriate continuation education, and these should be carried on concurrently. Complete records of progress in both should be kept. 9. Training should preferably be carried out in the Works under the direct supervision of the foremen with the assistance or under the direction of the Apprentice Supervisor. Con- tinuation education should preferably be given in a school attached to the Works. SUMMAEY OP RECOMMENDATIONS 59 10. Evening schools should be continued and maintained on a voluntary basis to meet tbe special demands or requirements of apprentices. 11. Tbe age of entry to trade apprenticesbip should be the school-leaving age, provided that this is between the ages of 14 and 16. 12. Selection should be carefully made so as to ensure the entry of youths of good physique, sound moral character, and intelligence; such selection being made from youths from junior technical schools, where these exist. The number of such schools should be increased. 13. Youths selected as fitted for industrial life should be tested in a probationary period of six months' duration, preferably in the trade which they propose to follow. 14. In view of the urgent need for develop- ing first-class foremen, the status of this grade of worker should be improved and made attractive to the best trade apprentices, and special facilities for training should be offered such youths. 15. All junior drawing office, testers', and inspectors' positions should be within the reach of trade apprentices, and from these 60 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS there should be channels open for further advancement. 16. Steps should be taken to define the status of trade apprentices in the various trades by examination in practical skill at the conclusion of their courses. 17. Apprentices should be encouraged by all means to devise activities for the rational use of their leisure hours. Engineering Apprentices. 18. For junior manufacturing, technical, and commercial positions a four years 5 course of training is suitable. 19. Men of public or higher secondary school education, between the ages of 16 and 18, are appropriate candidates for such a course, provided that they have reached a standard of general education not lower than matriculation standard. 20. Facilities should be given to those youths who desire to enter Works for one year only, prior to proceeding to a university or technical institution. 21. Engineering apprentices should be allowed and encouraged to obtain varied SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 61 experience in manufacturing, testing, and drawing office departments, and in the sales organization. 22. Every encouragement should be given to engineering apprentices to obtain part-time technical education, preferably during working hours. 23. Scholarships should be available to enable suitable engineering apprentices to take a full-time technical course at a university or technical institution. 24. Apprentices of this grade should be en- couraged to enter the Institution of Electrical Engineers as students, and to prepare for the examination for Associate Membership. Student Apprentices. 25. The more responsible staff officers should be recruited from graduates and other tech- nically trained men from universities or approved iteehnical institutions. 26. The period of training should last for at least two years, part of which should be spent in the general manufacturing and testing 62 SUMMAEY OF RECOMMENDATIONS departments, the last year in the special branch for which the apprentice is most fitted, either design, research, commercial work, or industrial organization. 27. University courses should be extended to afford instruction in the elements of indus trial management, commercial work, and industrial research. 28. Apprentices of this grade should enter the students' section of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Research Apprentices. 29. Students for industrial research should be selected from those men who, during their university and Works training, exhibit special aptitude for that work. 30. Such men should preferably obtain at least one year's further training in post- graduate research, after apprenticeship is completed, either at a university or other laboratory or in the Works research depart- ment. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 63 Scholarships. 31. A more generous provision should be made of scholarships from primary to junior technical and secondary schools; from secondary and junior technical schools to senior technical schools, and to the techno- logical faculties of universities; for graduates in applied science to undertake post-graduate research. 32. Scholarships from secondary and junior technical schools to senior technical schools and the technological faculties of universities, which are directed towards encouraging entry to the engineering industry, should contain provisions, among the conditions of award, ensuring that holders obtain the necessary Works experience. 33. Members should offer scholarships, for part-time technical instruction in applied science, to trade and engineering apprentices who are either exempt from the provision of the Education Act, 1918, or who have com- pleted the specified period of compulsory continuation education. 34. Members should offer scholarships to exceptionally talented trade and engineering 64 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS apprentices to enable them to undertake technical courses at a university or technical college. 35. Members should co-operate with uni- versities and education authorities in arrang- ing courses of practical training for student apprentices in Works, both before and after the university course, and during vacations. BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, ODILDFORD, ENGLAND.