> I wonder what the difference is between a classroom with a single teacher tasked with educating a room of people who might not be interested...and apprentice with one person who likely is interested.

The teacher's job is to teach and frequently teachers rate those that just finished a class as more capable then those that have a bunch of experience. Whereas in an apprenticeship the teachers are doers and are training doers. I think every first time intern I've ever hosted is always astonished at how much quicker they are learning then they were in college.