Who went to night school in the fifties and sixties?

[DavidFrance 19]

1959/60. 5pm Leave work, tram into town, coffee and sausage roll in Marsdens Pinstone Street then stroll along to Leader House, Surrey St, (Sheffield College of Commerce and Technology) and try to stay awake during two hours of "History of Local Government, Public Administration and Economics"...I'm afraid I didn't stick it out. But I'm not sure it ever made any difference.

[broncolives 10]

So, do you think the changes in later years with shorter apprenticeships , and getting rid of traditional city n guilds were reasons for this lack of tradesfolk?

 

defiantly although the materials have changed and the working practices there are far more regulations to adhere too. Its one thing joining pipes etc on a bench in a workshop and another laid on your back under a bath. Also repairing the older fixtures etc again needs to be learned. The sad thing is there is no encouragement for companies to take on apprentices and today there are far more self employed tradesmen who band together when needed rather than teaching someone who one day may compete with you.

[flightliner 10]

defiantly although the materials have changed and the working practices there are far more regulations to adhere too. Its one thing joining pipes etc on a bench in a workshop and another laid on your back under a bath. Also repairing the older fixtures etc again needs to be learned. The sad thing is there is no encouragement for companies to take on apprentices and today there are far more self employed tradesmen who band together when needed rather than teaching someone who one day may compete with you.

We were lucky, out of our at time at twenty one having worked alongside good tradespeople , being shown the ropes and being given jobs "graduated" at a level that ran alongside our ever increasing abilities that gave us confidence to move onwards and upwards to more advanced work.

It took lots of time for all this to come together and even at twenty one there was still lots to learn.

A big differance from today when its possible to find a young guy expecting full wages at nineteen.

Not their fault in any way whatsoever, just how it is but they've missed so much , I feel a bit sad about the way things seemed to have worked out

[bullerboY 10]

I went to the Lancastrian College on Bowling Green St to study motor engineering in 1957

[mikeG 16]

In 1963, I went to some place off Leopold Street to study for the Institute of Bankers exams. Principles of Accounting, Economics. Principles of Law and English.

[Sparkytom 10]

Started working at English Steel in 1955 and attended day school one day a week and night school one night a week at Rotherham Technical College. Finished in 1961 with my City & Guilds Electrical Technicians certificate. Moved to Australia and started my own electrical business and over the years took night school classes in computer programming and Programmable Logic Controls just to keep up with modern trends. Ended up doing part time night school teaching in computer programming and basic electrical theory. Proving the often said, if you want to know a subject well, teach it.

[echo beach 581]

In 1960 started work at English Steel Research Dept. Went To Sheffield Poly doing ONC then HNC Metallurgy 1 day& 1 evening per week.

 

Very similar pathway to you johnpm only my starting date was 1963, my employer was the NCB and my subjects were Business Studies followed by Management Studies.

When I started it was the Sheffield College of Technology and by the end of the decade it had changed into a Polytechnic.

 

echo.

[biker 10]

So, do you think the changes in later years with shorter apprenticeships , and getting rid of traditional city n guilds were reasons for this lack of tradesfolk?

 

Management only plan 1 month ahead nowadays to their next bonus.Long term planning for their firms and employees doesn't exist anymore.I did 7 years at college Granville college,Stannington college (12 hour day 9-9 no separate night ),Sheffield Polytechnic.People aren't willing to start on apprentice level wages. £3-1-10d in 1963 for a 46 hour week.

[sharrovian 10]

I went to nightschool on Norfolk St, building long gone now. I officially finished work at 5.30 but nightschool started at 6.00 so the firm "generously" let me go at 5.15 I lived nearby so I had time to have a bite to eat before running like hell to catch the tram to town, this was in the 1950s. A memory I have, one evening going along Surrey St. I was stopped by two men and a woman who asked me if there was a decent Restaurant nearby I directed them to the Grand Hotel, I would imagine they were appearing at the Lyceum as I recognised David Tomlinson and Rona Anderson.

[Peter beasley 0]

Went to rotherham technical college and studied mechanical engineering technicians from 1972 to1978 other students Dennis town ken Morris and quite a few from BSC I worked at Arthur lees

peter beasley

[Bodsy 10]

On 05/04/2017 at 17:22, johnpm said:

In 1960 started work at English Steel Research Dept. Went To Sheffield Poly doing ONC then HNC Metallurgy 1 day& 1 evening per week.

Similar to John, I started my ONC in Chemistry at Bowling Green St (I think) in 1964, then went to Sheffield Poly for the next year, followed by my HNC with endorsement Maths.  Completed in 1967.  Like others, I did it as 1 day release and 1/2 nights night school. 

 

John, I had relatives in the Metallurgical field at English Steel or Steel, Peach and Tozer around the same time as you.  Would be interested in chatting.

[trastrick 866]

 I was one of those fortunate people who learned a lot of skills very young.

 

Gardening, Woodworking, bookbinding (at home and school)

Shoe repairing and leather working (uncle)

Plumbing

Drafting

Metal working (machine shop, blacksmiths, welding, arc and gas)

Cooking (grandma)

Painting and wallpapering

Needlework, sowing and knitting (aunts)

Plastering, bricklaying and cement work (uncle)

Electrical (as apprentice)

Glazing

Even made my own custom metal tool box.

 

A lot of this came from working in factories, before the unions came in 1958 or so, and forbade us from using their tolls or machines. Also thanks to King Edwards night school on the Manor, Rowlinson and Pond Street College day schools.

 

Came in handy, as I can fix most broken stuff with my little tool kit and every ready supply of screws, glues, tapes and touch up paint!

 

Lost arts, in this Iphone age!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by trastrick