Minister of Trade and Industry Robert Lightbourne was quite pleased to send off the first student to England under the apprenticeship scheme. The students will get a chance to learn and practice their craft for four years, after which they will return to Jamaica.

Published Saturday, August 31, 1963

First to go in Govt’s. boys-to-UK apprenticeship scheme

Patrick Walker, 17, of Cornwall College, the first of 15 youths to be trained in mechanical engineering in Sheffield, England, under the auspices of the Government of Jamaica, left the island yesterday for England, where he will be apprenticed to the Laycock Engineering firm in Sheffield. 

Within the next few days, a few more boys will leave, and by the end of October, it is hoped that 15 youths will be in England being trained as mechanical engineers.

The boys are being selected from secondary and technical schools, and those who fulfil both age and educational requirements and are willing to undergo training, are sent to London for final selection by the firms participating in the scheme by taking them in as apprentices.

The boys will work during the days with these firms and attend college in the evenings for about four years, at the end of which time, they are required to return home.

Patrick Walker, before leaving yesterday, called on the prime Minister, The Hon Sir Alexander Bustamante, at his residence, where he was wished “bon voyage”.  He then called on the minister of trade and industry, the Hon Robert Lightbourne, who wished him success and made the following statement in connection with the scheme:

“Some time ago, I announced that the Government had a scheme to send Jamaican youths to the United Kingdom as apprentices to be trained in mechanical engineering.  I am happy to report that the first boy,  Patrick Walker of Cornwall College, left for England today to be apprenticed to the Laycock Engineering firm in Sheffield.  Other boys will be leaving within the next few days, and we hope to send away 15 boys by October.

“Much credit must be given to the Jamaican High Commission in the United Kingdom and to the officers of the Jamaica Industrial  Development Corporation in London for the assistance given in the implementation of this industrial training scheme.

“Mr C.J. Casserley, European director of the Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation, has done most of the spadework in getting the agreement of United Kingdom firms to accept apprentices from Jamaica, and I pay tribute to him.

“Owing to my illness and absence from office, there was very little time between acceptance of the scheme and the date to which the boys were due to start their training.  Consequently, the normal procedure of advertising for applicants could not be allowed.

“However, since the firms had specified the maximum age and educational attainments required, headmasters of secondary and technical schools, who could be easily contacted during the holidays, were asked to send in lists of boys who had the necessary qualifications and attitude, and those whose conduct they considered exemplary.

“Most of these headmasters were very cooperative, in spite of the short notice; and from the lists submitted by them, particulars of all the boys who fulfilled both age and educational requirements and were willing to undergo training, were sent to London for final selection by the firms participating in the scheme.

“It must be made quite clear that final selection was not done in Jamaica, because the firms wish to choose their own apprentices.  The only thing we could do here was to ensure that the boys sent would be good ambassadors, because the performance of this first batch determines the success or failure of the scheme.”

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