We want to get to know you more to help improve our service. Please take 2 minutes to fill out our survey here. Thank you! test2

Discover content and watch films on our latest and improved iOS app. Download it here!

This film is part of Free

Yesterday Is over Your Shoulder

An enticing government call for men to retrain as skilled engineers to help with the war effort.

Industry sponsored film 1940 8 mins

Overview

For long-suffering clerks and office workers, the offer of paid training, a free lunch and the freedom to smoke whenever they like might prove irresistible. And it's a win-win proposition, according to this short, government-funded appeal film. With the war calling up men to the front line, white collar workers who retrain as skilled manual labourers will not only have the satisfaction of doing their patriotic duty, they'll be happier at work, too!

This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.