Learning while working

Learning in the flow of work is nothing new. Yet it is important we stress this old approach to learning ever and ever again. I remember my childhood spent on the small farm where I was born. During the work in the stable, in the fields or in the woods, we kids first observed our parents at work. Occasionally asking a question or trying some task (not always without consequences, for example, I cut my knee with a big knife while trying to cut the ferns – was a wrong tool!).

Then, when parents saw we were big enough, they let us try some simple tasks in a "controlled environment". I vividly remember how much I admired my mom and dad cutting the grass manually with a scythe. It looked so smooth, all the movements were so elegant, it was a dance on the steep grassy slopes of our farm. In reality, it was a very hard job of someone with expert skills.

So, if I tried to learn how to manipulate a scythe on that dense and tall grass on steep slopes, I would certainly fail totally. But, my mom offered me to try the scythe when cutting a field of soft radicchio (that we used to feed pigs). I tried, well, first the scythe ended in the soil, but while I found the right angle, I did some nice swings and some radicchio was - cut. It was learning while working, and it was the right task for an apprentice, and it was in the right context – that is why the scythe is built for. Slow-start, we could say. Yet, encouraging for the learner. 

And that is why we do "(planned) informal knowledge-sharing sessions with colleagues" [Felix Mynarek]. I would say, from personal experience, that often even "unplanned knowledge-sharing sessions" work perfectly well. Many times, while using some tool, we become curious and simply say "Let`s try how it works!" Excellent way to do collaborative learning. And great approach to test a certain feature of the tool, or check a certain behaviour of the application, or reaction of a device to a certain command punched in. (Well, you have to be a bit careful not to test just everything in production environment!) 

That is why a lot of our internal programs are related to specific tasks we perform on the job, that is why mentors (experienced – and always curious employees) are an essential part of the programs, that is why the final projects on such programs are always related to the work the participants perform, and often solve a real problem.

That is why we bring students to our company to work part-time with our engineers and slowly, through level 1 support and simple tasks, not only learn the technology, familiarize with the solutions, but also become a part of our culture.

That is why today more and more people again talk about apprenticeship, the need that young people spend part of their education – working. In the environment (context) they learn about, they study. And with apprenticeship they have a chance to see it first-hand, try it and – learn from it. And they feed their curiosity and find their purpose, contributing to real world, demonstrating they can!