Institutionalized Apprenticeship

Abstract

Apprenticeship was the normal way to learn a trade in past centuries. A typical master might have one or two apprentices, who lived in the master’s home like members of the family. A new path for apprentices opened up with the founding in London of the Inns of Court, four institutions to train future lawyers. The combination of famous teachers, a critical mass of talented students, and the experiences of seeing law practiced in a royal city all made this new type of apprenticeship superior to what came before. The same thing happened with music training in the four conservatories of Naples. Great teachers, strong competition, and world-class music in a royal city led to conservatory students winning the best music jobs in Europe.