Two Classes of British Engineers: An Analysis of Their Education and Training, 1880s-1930s

Abstract

The debate on the adequacy of British engineers' education and training has been hampered by the scanty nature of the evidence upon which it is based. As a result inadequate attention has been paid to the correlated influence of three features, namely the existence of two classes of engineers, the control of qualifications by the professional institutions, and the tradition of practical training. This research note casts new light on these factors through an analysis of the education and training of samples of engineers from the 1880s through to the mid 1930s. This survey confirms that the retention of practical training after the introduction of scientific qualifications helped to maintain, in the twentieth century, the kind of socially differentiated routes to professional status that had emerged in the previous century. The retention of practical training even for graduates arguably restricted the numbers taking an engineering degree.