National Preview - Eggheads Only

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 21st Year

Issue

Issue No.

8

Date Released

Apr 1968

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1National Preview - Eggheads Only
2. 2Lancashire - Co-ordinate
3. 3Nottinghamshire - Coal Grown
4. 4Ripping

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 4

Summary

NoS synopsis: The future for boys in mining lies in advanced concepts of training
NCB Commentary - Mining Review looks forward - as far ahead as the 21 years since nationalisation.
Imagine these are young miners being trained in 1989.
But look at what they are learning - advanced technology in a group of new skills.
And this would be just an ordinary intake of mining apprentices ... boys who today are introduced to mining techniques with one foot in the future, yet with the other plantes in the traditions of the past.
As for the really bright boys 21 years from now, it’s difficult even to imagine what they will have to learn.
What is certain is that the boys who want to be the 21st century managers and engineers will have to master subjects at University level that haven’t yet been thought up.
Are we being too visionary?
All right, lets look back to the snowy winter of 1947. There were lads starting their training - and in 1947 training was news.
Why? Because it was all quite new. Because before 1947 there had been no training centres at all - except isolated pioneers like the training centre at Ashington.
And in the late 40s an industry that was being modernised, needed skilled, highly trained men to be able to set the production targets of the 50’s and 60’s.
In 1948 Mining Review shwoed two of the first winners of Coal Board Scholarships at their Universities, at a time when very few of the industries’ leaders had been able to take a degree in mining engineering.
This area General Manager, for example, passed his certificates at the Coatbridge School of Mines. In his time there were no Mining Faculties at any of the Scottish Universities.
Before nationalisation, but a full 100 years after the Coal Mines Act of 1842, boys were still lucky if they started work under the watchful eyes of a group of three or four men.
If they weren’t so lucky, they sat alone, and in the dark, opening and closing air-doors for the men and ponies bringing coal along the haulage roads.
Doorboys in the 30’s ...
At Technical Colleges and Universities in the 50’s and today in the 60’s every boy taking up mining an apprentice.
Britain’s mining industry, technically revolutionised today, is setting no limits to its need for the ‘eggheads’ of 20 years ahead.

Keywords

Education and training; Mining

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases
Films on Coal Catalogue   1969, p.55
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit