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August 12, 2009
Word of the Week--"Apprenticeship"
Definition--Apprenticeship- n. the act of working for another in order to learn a trade.

Discussion-Long before people went to college or trade school to learn their vocation, society relied on apprenticeships to pass on skills and trades to young people who were ready to work. An apprentice works for a skilled tradesman in exchange for the knowledge that the tradesman can supply in terms of his craft.
Perhaps the most famous apprentice in history is Mickey Mouse. You will recall that in Fantasia, one of the first full-feature animated films in history, Mickey was an apprentice magician. Even the leader of family fun had to learn from someone!
With the formations of hundreds of colleges and trade schools throughout the world, apprenticeships have become few and far between. In my personal opinion, too much emphasis has been placed on formal education. Society no longer fully appreciates the skilled tradesman and his/her valuable role. Apprenticeships were a very fair and thorough form of education, and I believe we should continue to encourage such routes for children who have a passion for a trade.

Etymology--Apprenticeship- a derivative of apprentice, borrowed from Latin apprendere, meaning to grasp mentally or learn.

Foreign Translations
Dutch: leerlingschap (het)
French: apprentissage (m)
German: Lehre (f)
Italian: apprendistato
Spanish: aprendizaje