AVRO HERITAGE MUSEUM

PETER MORRIS

In 1914 Peter became one of the first Trade Apprentices at Clifton Street, Newton Heath. Working in the welding department, he was involved in pioneering techniques such as welding the first aluminium fuel tanks, and was issued with an Avro War Service badge to show he was in an industry supporting the war. Here he met his wife, who was also a welder.
He was one of the first apprentices to be invited to a reunion dinner at the Café Royal, London, on February 27th 1952 at which the Avro 504 Club was established. A 504 Club trophy was produced for annual presentation to the best Avro Apprentice of the year, ensuring that the club would continue. This trophy is on display in the exhibition hall.
Peter was presented with a 25 year service clock for his long service with Hawker Siddeley in 1953, recorded in the Avro News, but remember to add his previous 14 years working with Avro.


The Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship

This course is open to boys between 16 and 18 1/2 years of age who have received a Public School or Grammar School education. The minimum qualifications for entry are as follows:
Up to 17 years of age - The General Certificate of Education at the ordinary level for five subjects, including Mathematics, English and a Science appropriate to engineering, e.g. Physics or Chemistry.
Up to 18 1/2 years of age - The General Certificate of Education at the advanced level for Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Physics. In addition, the candidate must have the General Certificate of Education at the ordinary level for Chemistry, English and a Foreign Language.
The aeronautical engineering apprentice has a wide choice of careers in many fields of the Company's activities. The course is for five years and the first six months is regarded as a probationary period.

TRAINING PROGRAMME
First Year (In the Apprentice Training School under the supervision of qualified Engineer Instructors). Fitting and machine tool practice supplemented by lectures on Workshop theory

Second Year (In this and the following years the Apprentice works in the main Workshops or other departments at Chadderton or Woodford)
Machining: centre lathes, capstans, millers, automatics, grinders. Light and heavy presswork. Drop hammer technique. Metal spinning. Foundry practice. Air-frame structures. Aircraft armament.

Third Year:
Metal manipulation. Heat treatment of metals. Protective treatment: plating, anodizing and painting. Welding: gas, arc and resistance. Installation of equipment: hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, instruments.


The Trade Apprenticeship (Chadderton)

The Trade Apprenticeship Course at the Company's Chadderton factory is intended primarily for boys who wish to take up an engineering trade or craft, but opportunity is also given, to those who have the aptitude to become draughtsmen, to enter one of the drawing offices after they have received the necessary practical training. Where exceptional technical ability is shown a trade apprentice will be considered for re-grading to aeronautical engineering apprentice up to the age of nineteen years.
Apprenticeship is open to boys from Grammar, Secondary Technical or Secondary Modern Schools. Candidates must be under the age of sixteen years on entry. They are required to pass an entrance examination. Apprenticeship is for five years, beginning at the age of sixteen years. The first six months is regarded as a probationary period.

TRAINING PROGRAMME
Preliminary up to sixteen years of age.
This period is spent in one or more of the Company's departments as a junior. The normal period in each department is three months finishing in the design office training section, where instruction is given in the preparation and reading of simple machine drawings.
The purpose of this arrangement is to give the boys an opportunity to become familiar with the work of the Company and the location of the various departments.

First Year (In the Apprentice Training School under the supervision of qualified Engineer Instructors):
Fitting and machine tool practice supplemented by lectures on Workshop theory.

Second Year (In the main Workshops):
Fitting: aircraft structural components and details.
Machining: centre lathes, capstans.

Third Year (In the main Workshops):
Machining: millers, automatics, grinders.