More than 80 people began their careers as apprentice electricians with the East Midlands Electricity Board (EMEB) in September of 1971. 2021 marks 50 years since the 1971 class of apprentices—who would now be in their mid-60s—began their training. To celebrate this milestone, Ian Smith of Ian Smith Electrical Ltd. wants to reunite the electrical students who studied at the Wollaton Craft Training Centre in Nottingham, as well as their instructors.

Established in 1948, the EMEB was responsible for the distribution and supply of electricity, generated by the Central Electricity Generating Board, in its service area in the East Midlands region of England, which includes the areas of Boston, Lincoln, Grantham, Nottingham, Derby, Burton, Chesterfield, Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Mansfield, Coventry, Warwickshire, Milton Keynes, Corby and Northampton.

The EMEB was sold to Powergen in 1998, when electricity was privatized in the United Kingdom.

The training center was opened in 1968 to meet the demand for the qualified staff it needed, offering apprenticeships in four main fields: electricians, electrical fitters, cable jointers and overhead linemen. To be accepted into the four-year program, aspiring apprentices had to take an aptitude test and interview at their local district office.

Describing their training, Smith noted that it included practical instruction at the training center and on-the-job.

He said, “The training was exceptional, the skilled instructors were hand-picked, mainly internally from the EMEB.”

If you worked or studied in the East Midlands area, contact Smith at [email protected] to learn more about the reunion or to help with identifying and contacting other members of the training class.