About
Modern Apprenticeships fill the gaps between formal education and craft. Emphasizing hands-on experience curated by current working professionals, modern apprenticeships provide aspiring craftsmen with the tools and resources to be able to learn to their aptitude.
The best people to teach future professionals about a craft are those who are currently performing it. Mentors benefit from the repeated exposure to older materials, and their experience provides unique insight into the problems that every apprentice will eventually encounter as they get started on their path toward mastery.
Apprentices benefit from the expanded opportunity and de-centralized access to individualized instruction. Given the resources, mentorship, and freedom to fail, apprentices can learn to understand their vocation and work toward mastery in their chosen craft.
Contributors
Paul Pagel
Paul Pagel was one of the first formally trained apprentices in the software craftsmanship movement. After several years under the mentorship of Uncle Bob Martin and Micah Martin at the esteemed Object Mentor, Paul co-founded 8th Light with Micah Martin in 2006 and doubled down on the model of modern apprenticeship. Under his direction, 8th Light has hired more than 70 developers and designers, all of whom graduated from his apprenticeship program.
Paul has given presentations on software craftsmanship and apprenticeship at numerous conferences, including GoTo Berlin 2014, Ignite Chicago, Ruby Conference, and Software Craftsmanship North America. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from DePaul University, and entered the Executive Masters of Business program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in the fall of 2014.