apprenticeship

apprenticeship, training in an art, trade, or craft under a legal agreement that defines the duration and conditions of the relationship between master and apprentice. From the earliest times, in Egypt and Babylon, training in craft skills was organized to maintain an adequate number of craftsmen. The Code of Hammurabi of Babylon, which dates from the 18th century bce, required artisans to teach their crafts to the next generation. In Rome and other ancient societies,...