Rather than being a place to acquire new skills, it would be a place for
study to learn how to use existing skills better. (Really, do you just
spend 7 days and *poof*, you are a construction engineer? Irregardless of
how many buildings you have built?) I.e., through study, you can learn how
to do things better.
Possible areas could include:
Engineering - decreasing the chance of mine collapse
Project Mgmt - decreasing time of a construction project
Geology - increasing the mine yield by finding the seam
Forestry - increasing loggin production
Farming - increasing breeding rates
Note that I am leaving out Magic, though there could be possible benefits
through cooperation rather than being locked up in a tower.
I am also leaving out new skills such as through chemistry the creation of
gunpowder or through animal husbandry the creation of new interbred
creatures. I.e. not a way to introduce new technologies.
The reason why I think that this could be useful is that if your noble is
nto dealing with The Arts (magic in some form), the game strategy is to
create small lessser nobles who are "keepers" (pub keepers, castle keepers,
town keepers, ...) And success is putting a minimal investment into each
and gathering revenue each turn from the possessions kept.
I think (especially since Olympia is supposed to be a Heroic Game) is athat
there should be a "career path" for Nobles. Where instead of just being
keepers they can grow towards being a better piece. I.e. fewer, more
valuable peices rather than hordes of invaluable peices.