Note 56 — Chapter V · INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.

Apprenticeship is still common in vellum-sewing where skill and intelligence are required, and in places where women are doing more than supplementary work, e.g. Edinburgh, a regular period of training varying from two to four years is agreed upon. Apprenticeship seems to be most common in Scotland. In London our investigation into vellum work, printers' folding, and bookwork only discovered seven indentured women apprentices, two of these being engaged in vellum work. Curiously enough in paper-staining firms, although the processes are practically unskilled, indentures are signed for two years; the girl receives 4s. a week for the first year and a portion of her piece earnings for the second year. At the end of two years she is a full wage-earner and is paid by piece rates. What her earnings are it is difficult to discover; 12s. 6d. was given as an average, but this is probably too high. It is reported that she may make 6d. in less than an hour when the colours are mixed and she is finishing a job, whereas next day she will spend the whole morning before she earns her 6d.