Additionally (historically), craftsmen would not teach their skills without you being a member. Many of these used to be the first types of unions, and you had to be a member to get access to the certain job bidding knowledge, skills, etc.
If you wanted to work in some towns, you would only be allowed to work if you were a member. It was one way for early Americans to protect against cheap or poor quality labor.
Not justifying, that was just how it was.
Today with youtube and rumble, you can figure out how to do things, though it may not always be the best way, or it may leave out key nuance. And then you have garbage like those shows that teach house flipping, using particle board, Styrofoam, and junk to dress up a house just enough to sell then it falls apart.
Before the Internet, you had to invest time and effort to figure this stuff out and there were a LOT of gatekeepers. Apprenticeships were one of the easy ways to get this info, even if you had to join a club. Benefit was you gained a lot of access to that trade or social group.
Can't win for trying sometimes.
Additionally (historically), craftsmen would not teach their skills without you being a member. Many of these used to be the first types of unions, and you had to be a member to get access to the certain job bidding knowledge, skills, etc.
If you wanted to work in some towns, you would only be allowed to work if you were a member. It was one way for early Americans to protect against cheap or poor quality labor.
Not justifying, that was just how it was. Even today with youtube and rumble, you can figure out how to do things, though it may not always be the best way, or it may leave out key nuance. And then you have garbage like those shows that teach house flipping, using particle board, Styrofoam, and junk to dress up a house just enough to sell then it falls apart.
Can't win for trying sometimes.