Apprenticeship in England

England was the only pre-modern European country with national legislation covering apprenticeship (the 1562 Statute of Artificers), setting unusually long and uniform seven-year terms. England was also unusual because around three-quarters of all English urban apprentices went to London for their training. Apprenticeships were regulated by a combination of guild rules and private contracts. The latter set individual conditions within the general framework. English apprenticeship fees varied widely, depending on the trade and the master’s reputation. Apprentices were rarely tutored by relatives and commonly choose other trades than their parents had exercised. Many apprentices left their masters early; only those aspiring to become masters themselves stayed on for the whole seven-year period. There was no formal examination at the end, nor other form of certification.