Master craftsman - Oyakata Shokkou

…That is to say, among skilled workers at that time, there were those who were called itinerant craftsmen, who moved from one company or workplace to another in search of profitable contract work, performing a variety of tasks and thus gaining more and more skill. Among them, a group of skilled workers called master craftsmen emerged, who arranged jobs for younger workers and also provided them with instruction in skills. Capitalists or entrepreneurs contracted them out to do work, and did not directly manage individual workers. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "master craftsman" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…すなわちこのころ，熟練労働者のなかには渡り職人といわれ，いろいろな企業なり職場なりを有利な請負仕事を求めて転々と移動しながら多様な仕事をこなしつつ，熟練の厚みを加えていくといった労働者がいた。彼らのなかで親方職工といわれる熟練労働者群が生まれてくるが，彼らは若手の労働者に仕事をあっせんし，その技能指導をも行っていた。資本家ないし企業家は彼らに仕事を請け負わせ，個々の労働者の管理に直接手を出さなかった。…

※「親方職工」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報