Rigger that was spot on,dont no about your area where you live , before the introduction of the citb,like i have stated before ,in the n/east you where either in the CEU or TGW, mostly around the middlesbrough area it was CEU,lots of black trade work started in the sixties ,ICI/seal sands late sixties/oil rig and ship building work ,like you say you started in squads,and you progressed through YOUR (TOP HAND)it was up to him if you moved on ,CEU had a grading system, labourer,trainee/top hand,to get anywhere in the industry you had to graft ,to progress ,not like today work a couple of months go to a training school come back with a card ,work a few more months go again come back with even a bigger card,i have mates in there sixties who through what ever reasons the never progressed through to advanced ,some because the companies wouldnt put them through others through shear stubborness,any big job started they where allways the first that got a call ,but the irony of it all the companies put young guys with advanced cards working with them knowing full well the job was going to be done correct only out of shear pride,the moral is all the cards in the world will notmake you a better tradesman regardless of what trade they where in,like you say the only learning curve is experience.(LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR BOOK)