I found “Learning from the past?” (24 July), which traced the history of apprenticeships, interesting. However, I was disappointed not to see any mention of the growth phase from the mid to late 1950s to the late 1970s, supported by the Carr Report of 1958. This report led to the Industrial Training Act of 1964 and the subsequent establishment of industry training boards.

While I applaud developments in our educational and training systems over recent years, I question whether there is sufficient flexibility today for craft apprentices to progress through to technical or specialist positions and gain professional qualifications.