Chapter 537: Joseph's Vocational School
Perna's gaze met Marie-Anne's smiling eyes, and she immediately shot to her feet, her cheeks flushing even deeper as she shook her head furiously, a look of shy indignation on her face:
"I... I don't understand what you're saying... I haven't, I'm not the Prince's mis— cough..."
"Yes, I know," Marie-Anne said, her smile broadening. She stepped forward to embrace her somewhat flustered friend, whispering, "My dear, you are so beautiful, and your soul is brimming with knowledge. No one could resist your charm..."
"Marie-Anne, I think I must leave," Perna stammered, like a child caught stealing sweets. She took two steps back and curtsied. "I, I need to speak with His Highness about Baron Lavoisier. It must be done soon..."
Marie-Anne thanked her profusely, pressed the gift meant for the Crown Prince into her hands, then watched her scurry into the carriage. Smiling again, she waved at Perna's retreating figure, calling out:
"Perna, do change out of those men's clothes! They hide your beauty!"
"Ugh..."
Perna huddled in the carriage, her heart thumping wildly. She felt a mix of sweetness and tartness, and words like 'Chief Mistress' kept flashing through her mind.
After a long moment, she suddenly recalled Marie-Anne's last remark. She looked down at her dark gray men's clothes, hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded vigorously as if having made a firm decision.
Inside the Royal Armory, Joseph looked helplessly at Garman, the Chief Technician:
"So, the entire armory only has two technicians who are proficient in the art of rifling?"
"That is correct, Your Highness," Garman replied, his head bowed. "Even in Charleville, there are only six or seven technicians who know this. You understand, it's a very precise and complex skill, and it's rarely used."
Joseph sighed. "Then let's begin training immediately. How long would it take to train 100 rifling technicians?"
"That..." Garman hesitated. "It depends on the apprentice's talent, Your Highness. One master can usually teach three apprentices. If they learn quickly, an apprentice can qualify in two years, and after another six months of practice, they can work independently."
"That long?!" Joseph mentally calculated. Based on the 'quick learner' standard, it would take five years to gather 100 rifling technicians.
Garman nervously glanced at Louis XVI, who was studying blueprints nearby. He whispered, "His Majesty the King himself took over nine months to master it..."
Joseph felt a sense of relief. If even the foremost craftsman of France needed nine months, it clearly indicated the difficulty of the technique.
In this era, rifling was done entirely by hand. Using a hook-knife, four spiral grooves of consistent width and precise spacing were "carved" into the inner wall of a one-meter-long iron barrel, roughly 10-20 millimeters in diameter. A deviation of even 0.1 millimeter would render the entire piece scrap, and only the most skilled artisans could achieve it.
Joseph immediately felt that something wasn't quite right. France certainly didn't lack brilliant artisans; even if they couldn't surpass his father, they shouldn't be so many times slower.
So he turned to the Chief Technician and asked, "Why do other apprentices take so much longer than His Majesty?"
"Er, primarily, of course, it's due to His Majesty's exceptional talent," Garman explained. "Furthermore, Mr. La Rochelle has been personally instructing His Majesty every step of the way.
"Typically, however, technicians, whether at the armory or in Charleville, can only dedicate two hours a day to teaching apprentices, and that time has to be split among three people."
"Two hours?" Joseph exclaimed, surprised. "Why such a short amount of time?"
"Your Highness, the technicians all have their own work, which is the source of their wages," Garman patiently explained. "Therefore, artisans usually only want to take on one apprentice, and typically they just have the apprentice observe, figure things out on their own, and rarely offer guidance more than once every few days.
"That's why an apprentice used to take five to ten years to become qualified. This time, with your instructions, shortening it to two years is considered quite fast."
Joseph rubbed his forehead in exasperation. 'This era's apprenticeship system truly is dreadful. How can such an inefficient method of training talent keep up with the demands of industrialization?'
He pondered for a moment, then continued, "So, if the technicians dedicate all their time to apprentices, doing nothing else, and I pay their salaries, would that speed things up?"
Garman spread his hands. "Your Highness, I'm afraid even if they agreed, they would still secretly take on other work.
"They need to maintain their skills, after all. Otherwise, once they've finished teaching apprentices, they might no longer be among the top artisans in the field."
Joseph nodded silently at his words.
'So, the root of all problems lies in the training system.'
For these artisans, their primary work always came first; teaching apprentices was merely about having someone to assist. Apprenticeship fees in this era were minuscule, barely worth their notice.
Therefore, to solve the problem of training industrial talent, a vocational technical training system had to be introduced.
Artisans who taught skills would have to become full-time professional instructors, and their compensation would be based on the number of students they successfully trained.
This opportunity to train rifling technicians was perfect for establishing a network of vocational schools. This would provide immense support for France's Industrial Revolution.
After all, the contribution of a skilled technical artisan to industrial development could sometimes surpass that of hundreds of ordinary laborers who only performed repetitive tasks. Vocational schools could allow France to acquire such talent several times faster than other European nations!
In later generations, it was a large workforce of skilled technicians that underpinned Germany's advanced manufacturing industry. Vocational education was even hailed as the "secret weapon" behind Germany's industrial ascent, highlighting its immense importance.
Joseph immediately gestured to Eman, who was standing by the door. "Please inform Count Mirabeau, Mr. Gensonné, and Archbishop Beaumont..."
He paused here. Although France's education system had always been managed by the Church, he couldn't shake the feeling that having priests oversee the establishment of industrial vocational schools felt somewhat incongruous.
'In the future, the education system, at least vocational high schools and universities, should be separated from the Church. They can stick to literacy education in local parishes.'
"And Mr. Denico, please come to me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Joseph then turned to Garman, who was standing nearby. "You and Manager Martinier also come."
The representatives from industry, education, and propaganda, along with the two senior executives from the Royal Armory, should be enough to lay the groundwork for vocational schools in the military-industrial sector. For other industries, this could serve as a blueprint for gradual expansion later.
After giving instructions regarding the vocational schools, Joseph and his father continued discussing the plans for mass production of the Auguste Model 1790 Rifled Musket until dusk. Only then did the two, weary yet exhilarated, return to Versailles Palace to prepare for dinner.
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