Work-related learning and the struggle for employee commitment

Abstract

Workplace or work-related learning represents an important and expanding area of interest for adult educators. Encouraged by a variety of recent government policy developments within a framework of ‘lifelong learning’, adult educators and trade unions once again are seen as having an important contribution to make towards work-related learning initiatives. However, this article raises a number of concerns and worries about the underlying assumptions and purpose of much of this learning. Against a background of recent research and developments involving the author, it is suggested that an uncritical analysis of ‘learning’ within the workplace by adult educators and trade unionists risks aligning these activities to new forms of oppression and managerial control.