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THE PLACE OF TRAINING IN THE EMERGENCE OF ENGINEERING

THE PLACE OF TRAINING IN THE EMERGENCE OF ENGINEERING

Training, being the process of teaching and giving practice to a person in order to bring his behavior and performance of a task, job or function to a desirable standard, has historically played an immeasurable role in the march of civilization. Sustained advances in civilization over the millennia would not have been possible without the central and unique role of training as a vehicle for passing on knowledge and skills from one generation to another, particularly in the formation of technical manpower.

It is generally thought that human bengs began amassing knowledge at the beginning of the stone age. As they invented tools, weapons, clothing, shelter and language, the need for training became an
essential ingredient in the march of civilization (O’Sullivan in Craig, 1987). Whether our ancestors stumbled upon or invented these facets of civilization is of very little significance. What is more important is that human beings had the ability to pass on to others the knowledge and skills gained in mastering these circumstances. This was done not by written words or through literacy but by deliberate example, by practice, by signs and by spoken words (show, tell, do and check”). Through these devices, the developmental process called training was administered; and when the message was received by another successfully, we say that learning took place and knowledge or skill was transferred.

Training through communication, exemplified by early cave wall drawings, which served as documentary records of the time, propelled the march of civilization. It is conceivable that the etchings and paintings were also effective instructions, orienting primeval youngsters to such skills as fishing, hunting, and how to protect themselves from danger (Miller, 1987). As archaeological excavations continue to unearth clay or brick tablets on which is inscribed information about the lives of people living 6,000 or more years ago, the place of training in the rapid development of knowledge and information has become dramatically more evident.

Craftsmanship Training
The Sumerian Palace of Kish in Mesopotamia, built in 3500 B.C. is an example of the ancient use of brick. The Bible tells us that the Tower of Babel was also built of brick. The astounding architectural and masonry accomplishments of the craftspeople of old, embodied in the pyramids and ancient temples, such as Solomon’s First Temple, are memorials to the stonemasons, the brick masons, the carpenters, the artists, architects and scientists of ancient times.
But let us keep in mind that thousands of people worked on most of these projects and that the work could not have been accomplished without training; without the transfer of knowledge and skills from one person to another, or from one person to many people. More importantly, it must be remembered that in these early civilizations, literacy reached neither the craftspeople nor the peasantry. The skills and knowledge of the crafts could only have been transmitted or transferred by direct instruction, example and practice (“show, tell, do and check”) i.e. training from the skilled craftspeople to the unskilled or the not-so-skilled.

Apprenticeship
Contemporary training formats have their roots in the apprenticeship system of old whereby an experienced person passed along knowledge and skills to the novice, who after a period of apprenticeship became a yeoman, or journeyman. Provisions governing apprenticeship were instituted as early as 1800BC when such rules were included in the Code of Hammurabi, who placed a code of his laws in the temple of Shamash (God of Justice) in Babylon.

The apprenticeship system, although predominant in technical trades, was not restricted to artisans. The ancient temples taught religion and, frequently, art through apprenticeship. The armies took responsibiiities for training soldiers through apprenticeship. In all walks of life, knowledge was passed from one person to another – mainly via training and not education. Apprenticeship was the vehicle of instruction in medicine, law and many other professions where education now predominates and is in the domain of colleges and universities. As recently as the 1920s, it was possible in the United States of America for a person to “read law in the office of an attorney” (Eurich, 1985). Following a period of study, the apprentice lawyer took a government-sponsored examination, with a passing grade qualifying the apprentice to practice law. Similarly, one can qualify as an accountant, even today, in many parts of the world through a system of apprenticeship know as articleship. Further, in Nigeria qualifications to practise many traditional professions and trades (e.g. traditional medicine) are still obtained through the system of apprenticeship.

Formation of Guilds
The formation of guilds in the middle ages contributed to the evolution of modern-day training formats. Guilds were associations of people whose interests and pursuits were the same or similar.
The first guilds were established in England, before the Norman Conquest in 1066. By the end of the 12th Century, guilds were spread throughout the cities of Europe. The basic purposes of guilds were mutual protection, assistance and advantage. In essence, guilds created private franchise, and at the same time established standards for the quality of products and standards of workmanship.
Guilds contributed to the evolution of modern training through the standards of workmanship, as exemplified by the structure of their membership. There were three classes of membership in the guilds: the master workers, who owned the raw materials and tools and directed the work; the apprentices, who usually lived with the master and who received practically no pay, except sustenance and training; and lastly, the journeymen, who had passed through apprenticeship but were yet to qualify as masters and who worked under masters and received fixed wages for their labours.

The guilds are similar in many ways to the various technical trade associations (e.g. associations of mechanics, vulcanizers etc) prevalent in present-day Nigeria, particularly with respect to training function which they perform. Also, in some senses, particularly with respect to training and professional competence, the present-day professional bodies (e.g. Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers) and regulatory agencies (e.g. Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN) are similar in structure and operation to the guilds. In fact, it may not be far-fetched to suggest that the professional bodies and regulatory agencies world-wide are mutants of the guilds, which over many mutations have come to assume their present forms.


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