Exploring artisanship through workplace learning at a South African mine

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The workplace provides a fertile learning environment where apprentices can improve and fine-tune their trade to develop from apprentice to artisan. The experience and expertise of a seasoned employee transferred to the novice apprentice in this setting through informal workplace learning could contribute to the development of artisanship. Apprentices apply trade theory to what was learned during formal training and reflect on this learning by trial and error. Workplace learning could be provided in the mining context through different modes that could include formal, non-formal as well as informal learning. Various authors emphasise that the workplace provides a legitimate setting for informal workplace learning, which has received increased prominence over the past years. Also, the literature suggests that employees develop significantly more skills and expertise in the workplace through informal learning, which was identified as a leading mode for learning delivery in that environment. Learnerships offered by a mine in South Africa for the development of artisans as a requirement in its Social and Labour Plan to drive community development and organisation sustainability provide a unique opportunity to focus on informal workplace learning. This study explored artisanship through workplace learning to investigate which organisational factors (if any) influenced artisan development, how informal workplace learning is facilitated, and how it occurs at a mine. Data were collected through 18 semi-structured interviews, which were analysed by way of conventional content analysis. The results indicated that informal workplace learning facilitated the development of artisan apprentices in the mining sector.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University