Retainer Venture?

[Starkiller]

Also, can your retainer perform ventures in areas your character has yet to enter/discover? Can it gather items you have yet to obtain on your own?

As it turns out we cannot do this. For example, this morning I made one of my Retainers a Botanist. In order to have her use that class, I had to first unlock it. Then I attempted to send her out to gather Earth Shards, but was denied.

I could not send her out to gather an Earth Shard until I had gone out as a Botanist first and harvested at least one Earth Shard myself. So, it's not possible to send Retainers out on Ventures to hunt/harvest items that your character has not already obtained before.