Chapter 538: Joseph's Vocational Schools
Perna met Marianne's smiling gaze, and her face flushed as she abruptly stood up. Embarrassment and indignation flooded her features as she frantically waved her hands.
"I… I don't understand what you're talking about… I'm not… I'm not His Highness's lover, cough…"
"Yes, yes, I know." Marianne's smile grew even more radiant. She stepped forward and embraced her flustered friend gently.
"My dear, you're so beautiful, and you possess a soul brimming with knowledge. No one can resist your charm…"
"Marianne, I think I must leave now," Perna said, retreating two steps and bowing awkwardly. "I need to speak to His Highness about Baron Lavoisier. It's urgent."
Marianne repeatedly thanked her, pressing a gift meant for the Prince into Perna's hands. She watched as her friend darted off to the carriage in a flurry, waving at her retreating figure with a knowing smile.
"Perna, please get rid of that men's outfit—it hides your beauty!"
"Ugh…"
Perna curled up in the carriage, her heart pounding wildly. Sweetness and unease swirled in her chest as words like "chief mistress" kept popping into her mind.
After some time, Marianne's last comment came back to her. Perna glanced down at the dark gray men's outfit she was wearing. After a few moments of hesitation, she nodded resolutely.
The Royal Armory, Southeast of Versailles.
Joseph stood, exasperated, as he spoke to Chief Technician Garman.
"So you're telling me that the entire armory only has two technicians capable of crafting rifling?"
"That is correct, Your Highness," Garman replied, bowing his head. "Even in Charleville, there are only six or seven who can do it. You see, this is a very precise and intricate skill, and it's rarely needed."
Joseph sighed. "Then start training more immediately. How long would it take to train 100 rifling technicians?"
"Well…" Garman hesitated. "It depends on the apprentices' aptitude, Your Highness. A master craftsman can teach three apprentices at a time. If they're quick learners, they could finish in two years and gain independent proficiency with another six months of practice."
"That long?!" Joseph quickly did the math. Even under ideal conditions, it would take five years to train 100 rifling technicians.
Garman nervously glanced at Louis XVI, who was reviewing blueprints nearby, and added in a low voice,
"His Majesty himself took over nine months to master it…"
Joseph understood. If the best craftsman in France needed nine months, it showed just how difficult the process was.
At this time, rifling involved manually carving four perfectly spaced, precisely measured spiral grooves inside the inner walls of a meter-long iron tube. Even a deviation of 0.1 millimeters meant the entire barrel had to be scrapped. Only the most skilled craftsmen could manage such precision.
Joseph frowned, sensing something amiss. Surely there were other talented French artisans who couldn't be that far behind his father.
"Why does it take so much longer for apprentices than it did for His Majesty?"
"Well, it's primarily because His Majesty is exceptionally gifted," Garman explained. "Also, Master Laloser personally guided him every step of the way.
"In contrast, at armories like ours or Charleville, craftsmen can only dedicate about two hours per day to teaching apprentices, and even then, they split their time among three students."
"Two hours?" Joseph asked, incredulous. "Why so little?"
"Your Highness, the craftsmen have their regular duties to fulfill—that's where their income comes from," Garman patiently explained. "Teaching apprentices is secondary. Most of the time, apprentices just watch and try to figure things out on their own. They might get personal guidance once every few days.
"That's why it usually takes five to ten years for an apprentice to master a craft. With your mandate, we've compressed the timeline to two years, which is already quite fast."
Joseph rubbed his forehead in frustration. The inefficiency of the apprenticeship system was appalling. At this rate, how could France possibly meet the demands of industrialization?
After some thought, he asked, "What if we paid the craftsmen full wages to focus exclusively on training apprentices? Wouldn't that speed things up?"
Garman shrugged. "Even if they agree, they'd probably take on private work in secret.
"Maintaining their skills requires regular practice. If they spend all their time teaching, they risk losing their touch. By the time they finish training the apprentices, they might no longer be at the top of their craft."
Joseph nodded thoughtfully. The root of the problem lay in the training system itself.
For these artisans, their primary responsibility would always be their regular work, and teaching apprentices was a secondary concern. Since apprenticeship fees were negligible, there was little incentive to prioritize training.
To address this, Joseph realized they needed a vocational training system.
By hiring skilled craftsmen as full-time instructors and tying their pay to the number of apprentices they trained, they could create a system that prioritized education.
This rifling technician training program could serve as a pilot for establishing a network of vocational schools. Such schools would be critical for supporting France's industrial revolution.
Skilled workers could often contribute more to industrial development than hundreds of untrained laborers. Vocational schools would allow France to cultivate this talent at a rate far exceeding other European nations.
In later years, Germany relied on its highly skilled labor force to build its advanced manufacturing sector. Vocational education was even hailed as the "secret weapon" behind Germany's industrial success. Joseph knew France needed to follow a similar path.
"Emmanuelle," Joseph called to his aide at the door, "please summon Count Mirabeau, Mr. Jansonne, Archbishop Beaumont..."
He hesitated. France's education system had long been under the control of the Church, but he found it jarring to involve priests in building industrial vocational schools.
Eventually, the Church's role in education—at least for vocational and higher education—would need to be reduced. They could focus on literacy programs in local parishes instead.
"And also Mr. Denicot. Ask them to come see me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Joseph turned back to Garman. "You and Manager Martineau should join us as well."
With representatives from industry, education, and propaganda, along with the armory's senior management, they could lay the foundation for military vocational schools. This model could later be expanded to other fields.
After finalizing the details for the vocational schools, Joseph and his father continued discussing plans for mass-producing the Auguste 1790 rifled musket. By dusk, the two returned to Versailles, exhausted but exhilarated, just in time for dinner.
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