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In the eighteenth century, Nantes was a major industrial city, with many children working in a variety of activities. Their vocational training was an essential issue for those involved in the world of work. Qualifications were based on the acuity of the senses and the dexterity of gestures, so that their acquisition required observation, then trial and error. From the second half of the century onwards, industrialization was accompanied by the creation of concentrated, mechanized factories. In search of low-paid, docile labor, manufacturers mobilized large numbers of young children for rudimentary tasks. Putting destitute children to work was particularly developed during the French Revolution. Yet industrialization proved to be a complex process, so that know-how and apprenticeships remained.