The LiNEA Project Early career learning at work

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The LiNEA ProjectEarly career learning at work

• Michael Eraut
• Fred Maillardet
• Carolyn Miller

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Purpose of project

• To study learning during the first three years
  of postgraduate employment, comparing and
  contrasting Accountants, Engineers and Nurses
• The project is supported by a range of
  appropriate professional bodies and employers

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Aims

• To identify WHAT is being learned in the
  workplace
• ...HOW it is being learned
• ...FACTORS affecting the level and direction of
  learning

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Objectives

• Seeking understanding of the transition from HE
  into employment
• knowledge of the learning taking place in
  practice in the workplace
• evidence-based practice in support of
  newly-qualified employees

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Research design

• Some 90 graduates are involved spread across the
  three disciplines
• Evidence is being collected over a three year
  period via four 1-2 day visits to each
  participant in their workplace
• Visits typically commence with observation and
  finish with a recorded one hour interview, and
  are augmented with short interviews with
  managers, mentors, etc, regarding expectations
• The inherent challenges in eliciting tacit
  knowledge are acknowledged, and high priority
  given to the development of a coding system which
  would enable consistent interpretation across the
  three disciplines

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Learning Factors
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Contextual Factors
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Allocation and structuring of work

• Accountancy Audit teams typically of one weeks
  duration
• Wide range of client
  contact
• Work progression usually
  available
• Ongoing structured
  professional training
• Engineering Relatively large project Teams
• Open plan offices
  encourage social links
• Suitable work for
  trainees is scarce
• CPD Programmes available
• Nursing Ward Based
• Pressure cooker
  environment
• Multiple but brief
  contacts with other
• 
  professions
• Variable access to CPD

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Relationships with people at work

• Accountancy Strong mutual support within teams
• Strong organisational
  culture
• Awareness of client
  variation
• Peer group interaction
  developed
• Engineering Loose links in large teams
• Ask anyone culture
  develops wide networks
• Hunter-gatherers of
  resources
• Broader context of
  project often missing
• Nursing Variable ward climates
• Variable mentor support
• Variable contact with
  peers
• Ward leadership
  critical

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Challenge and value of work

• Accountancy Good progression in audit work
• Value for clients is
  clear
• Engineering Variable types and levels of
  challenge
• Depends on work
  available
• Isolation from clients
  resented
• Nursing High levels of challenge
• Value for clients clear
  
• Emotional dimension
  critical

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Expectations and progress at work

• Accountancy Clear apprenticeship route
• Must pass
  examination culture
• Engineering Learning is a serious business
• Need to work on
  whatever is available
• Work expectations
  often unclear
• Nursing Initially unreasonably high
• Transition problems
  underestimated
• Ultimate
  responsibility for key decisions
• Overwork is the norm

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Feedback and support

• Accountancy Immediate feedback via audit
  documents
• Relatively fast return on
  investment
• Support with same team
  most readily available
• Engineering Feedback via ask anyone culture
  
• Relatively slow return on
  investment
• Support via small
  sub-groups
• Nursing Feedback often taken for
  granted
• More often negative then
  positive
• Clear return on
  investment
• Support often difficult
  to find

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Confidence and commitment 1

• Confidence in self
• team
• colleagues
• organisation
• Commitment to team
• 
  colleagues
• 
  organisation
• 
  clients
• 
  profession

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Confidence and commitment 2

• Importance of confidence reaffirmed
• Almost total absence of long-term, strategic
  feedback leads to lack of self-confidence
• This in turn leads to lowering of commitment to
  current organisation
• Group climate for learning has to be created,
  sustained and recreated at regular intervals
• This is a management responsibility which is not
  high on many managers agenda

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Contacts

• LiNEA Project Website
• http//www.sussex.ac.uk/usie/linea/index
• Michael Eraut m.eraut_at_sussex.ac.uk
• Fred Maillardet f.j.maillardet_at_bton.ac.uk
• Carolyn Miller carolyn.miller_at_bton.ac.uk