Well, I meant as a programmer specifically, not just IT. In my own experience, people who are self-taught (myself included) might be good enough to be entry-level programmers, needing a high level of supervision. If you're going to learn good judgment rather than just knowledge, though, it really helps to work with more experienced people for a few years. That's what I meant by "apprentice", more being mentored rather than a formal apprenticeship.