Wilson's subordinate suddenly realized that everyone around him was looking at him with hostile eyes. Unable to think of any way to argue back, he hurriedly lowered his head and fled into the nearest alley.
In front of San Nazaro Maggiore Basilica, the manager of Ferri Silk Mill led several dozen newly hired porters back toward the factory.
The large crowd of people still waiting in line immediately scattered in disappointment.
Just then, someone suddenly waved a newspaper and shouted, "This Milan Skills Training School says that as long as you study there for a few months, you can get the work only Guild journeymen used to be able to do!"
"Guild journeyman" sounded like some low-level worker with little experience, but in reality, it meant one had crossed the threshold into craftsmanship—a "technical talent" qualified to work in trades with credential requirements.
In the past, if one wanted to obtain this certification, one first had to join a Guild, sign an apprenticeship contract with a master, and study for at least five years; some trades even required more than ten years of training.
During that time, not only were wages extremely low, but one also had to pay Guild dues, and was even forced to buy tools "certified" by the Guild—usually at prices far higher than the market rate.
However, after obtaining journeyman qualifications, one could take on work monopolized by the Guilds, with almost no competition. It was basically an "iron rice bowl." And now, by studying at that skills training school for only a few months, they could do work that only craftsmen had been able to do before. The temptation was simply too great! People immediately crowded over, and someone asked the man cautiously, "Excuse me, does that school or whatever have an age limit for