Sir, – The feature "Can parents get over 'snobbery' surrounding apprenticeships?", March 14th, describes a negative view of trades and tradesmen that has inexplicably prevailed in Irish society for several generations, despite the fact that we are essentially a nation of peasants.
Even within the British royal family one of Queen Elizabeth’s nephews became a carpenter and nobody seems to have made much of a fuss about it.
There is a simple solution. Make trades a degree course in universities, and let students attend university lectures one or two days a week during their apprenticeship. This would give trade apprentices the experience of college life and the pride of a formal graduation at the end of it, while at the same time giving them practical on-the-job training.
It would also help to break down class divisions in Irish society. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’SULLIVAN,
Crossabeg,
Co Wexford.