History of the Master Craftmen guilde of France
Les Compagnons de France,
Generally refer to the Compagnons des Devoirs.
A renowned French institution that trains young people in traditional craft and building trades through apprenticeships and the famous “Tour de France”.
It is recognized path of excellence that combines vocational training and the transmission of the values.
To truly understand how they operate, here are their core principes :
- Work-study training : young people (starting after middle school or high school) learn a trade while working for a company.
- The Tour de France : To hone their skills, these young professionals travel from city to city, and even abroad, changing companies each years. This fosters great adaptability and the discovery of new techniques.
- Community living : during their journey, traveling journeymen often live in boarding houses called Maisons de Compagnons, which promote mutual support, sharing, and the passing down of the knowledge between generations.
- The Cumulations : after several years, the apprentice create a “masterpiece’ (chef d’oeuvre) to officially become a Compagnon.
- The Trades taught cover a wide range of sectors, including constructions (carpentry, masonry, plumbing)
- The Culinary arts (baking, pastry-making)
- Industry leather and textiles crafts
It should be noted that there is a second major association practicing this compagnonnage tradition.
Federation, Association, Union Compagnonnique.
