The Art of Training Young People by Benjamin Parry

Ultimately the apprenticeship model was created to solve a labour market problem. The master, needs to be able to find cheap labour but the available pool of trained freeman is too small. The apprentice, needs to gain skills that will make them employable but still needs to support themselves - at least with food and shelter - while they remain an economic drag. (View Highlight)

The truth however is that the vast majority of what we need to know to operate effectively in the world is not graspable in a propositional way like this. (View Highlight)

Most knowledge is tacit or non-formal it either has not, or perhaps even cannot, be written down as a proposition [11] . The learning may involve a set of non-formalised heuristics and a distinct pattern language for the craft but nothing that can be used in an algorithmic manner. (View Highlight)

The other reason this has to be the case is that the skills that the apprentice learns are multi-faceted, dealing with every aspect of a particular craft, so they require a holistic learning environment. This is why the requirement to provide the apprentice room and board was seen originally not just as an arrangement to keep them fed and sheltered but an essential part of a fulsome education [13] . (View Highlight)

The situation today has not substantially changed from prior centuries. Although we live in an industrialized and services oriented society we still have huge problems figuring out what to do with our youth. This is, of course, backed up by the experience of every person that has left school to get a job and immediately realised they were woefully unprepared [14] . But more importantly, the gap between youth and adult employment [15] remains stubbornly high, and appears to even be getting worse over time. (View Highlight)

"Discipline should therefore be regarded as a skill that may be developed through adherence to strict ritual, or by immersion within a strict belief system of hierarchy of values. Once such discipline has been attained, it may escape the bounds of its developmental precursor." (View Highlight)

By enforcing a long tenure and being part of a holistic work and life environment the apprentice picks up the tacit knowledge that is needed to excel at a craft and in a workplace. Something that school and ‘book learning’ is structurally incapable of. As AI becomes capable of automating all work that can be captured as propositions it will be increasingly important to cultivate these kinds of environments. (View Highlight)

For the masters, or companies, that run them apprenticeships are a risky business. However, they can solve a labour market problem and more importantly they create an on-ramp for the kind of skilled labour that could one day provide a huge surplus value. (View Highlight)

And, the path to mastery is one that ultimately leads to personal achievement and freedom. (View Highlight)