Situating gendered learning in the workplace

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to situate the concept of gendered learning in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents the results of two closely related, qualitative studies of apprenticeship learning in two major industrial companies in Denmark.FindingsThe paper finds that the creation of a situated‐gendered “being” or “doing” in the workplace constitutes an important and often overlooked aspect of young people's learning processes in vocational training. Two themes of gender and learning are identified and discussed in an empirical analysis. These themes are learning and gendered identities, and gender and future family life.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is exploratory in nature, so that it would be useful to confirm the results through further validation and comparison with other professions and workplaces.Practical implicationsThe design of proliferate learning practices in the workplace should consider gender as a factor which influences the trajectories of the individual learner.Originality/valueThe main thrust of the paper is that young people engaged in vocational training in the workplace are “gendered” through their participation in particular work and work‐related practices. The “telos” of learning in the context of vocational training in the workplace entails more than just the pursuit of a career trajectory or an occupational identity. The main contribution of the article is therefore its emphasis on the notion that theories on workplace and apprenticeship learning should consider a broader perspective on the learner than possible when focussing only on professional or occupational identity.