Tracing a relative who was in Peterborough in 1911.

[bedfordshire boy]

per National Probate Calendar
Edward Charles Kent of 64 Burnt Ash Rd Lee Kent sergeant 18th Middlesex Regiment died 24 March 1918 in France. Probate London 26 July to Thomas Kent surveyor. Effects £9398 5s 3d

£9,400 in 1919 is equivalent to over £400,000 today, so it doesn't seem as though he needed to work as a nurseyman. But an improver was "A person who works at a trade under an employer for the purpose of improving his or her knowledge or skill, and accepts the opportunity of such improvement wholly or in part instead of wages." So perhaps it was work experience. But it's all speculative without any original documents, the chance of finding which is practically zero

David

[Markkent91]

per National Probate Calendar
Edward Charles Kent of 64 Burnt Ash Rd Lee Kent sergeant 18th Middlesex Regiment died 24 March 1918 in France. Probate London 26 July to Thomas Kent surveyor. Effects £9398 5s 3d

£9,400 in 1919 is equivalent to over £400,000 today, so it doesn't seem as though he needed to work as a nurseyman. But an improver was "A person who works at a trade under an employer for the purpose of improving his or her knowledge or skill, and accepts the opportunity of such improvement wholly or in part instead of wages." So perhaps it was work experience. But it's all speculative without any original documents, the chance of finding which is practically zero

David

I would imagine you are probably  right and like you say without finding any records we would never know for sure. Also  If you look at the probate record, the entry above Edward Charles is his uncle also called Edward who died in Hastings . His effects were £96514. That is an absolute staggering sum!