The French apprentices thriving on medieval roots
'Can an institution set up in the early Middle Ages have any relevance to the great employment questions of today?
Ask anyone who works for France's Compagnons du Devoir (Companions of Duty), and you will get a resounding "Yes!"
Their roots may be medieval, but today the Compagnons continue to offer apprenticeships in the trades to thousands of young French men and women.
And in a direct link back to the early days of journeymen masons and carpenters - the cathedral-builders of the past - many of today's apprentices still go on a Tour de France. They travel the country over several years to pick up new techniques and perfect their skills. . .
"It needs to change," says Jacob Hunt. "The middle classes send their children to universities. But it must be obvious by now that that is a diminishing asset. Many teenagers are not academic.
"With a Compagnons-style apprenticeship they can build a long-term investment in their own future."'
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42365048?SThisFB