This research report describes an illuminative evaluation study of the workplace learning component of the Diploma in Animal Health, a vocationally-oriented qualification offered by the University of South Africa (Unisa). In illuminative evaluation, a programme is studied by qualitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of its "instructional system" – its intended teaching arrangements, as well as its "learning milieu" – the actual sites of learning interaction; this results in a rich description of the programme that allows "matches" and "mismatches" between the instructional system and learning milieu to be uncovered. In this study, this approach was applied to investigate the instructional system through document analysis, and the learning milieu through interviews, observation and a student questionnaire. The data revealed a number of "matches" but also "partial matches". Matches included the immersion of students in an actual work environment where they fully participated in real work activities; this generally allowed them to be work-ready on graduation, as intended. Partial matches included the component's intentions to have a well-functioning co-operative relationship, to have a curriculum that is fully relevant to student workplaces, and to have designated mentors who provide both academic and personal support; all these intentions were only partially achieved in the learning milieu. In uncovering these matches and partial matches the illuminative approach provided in-depth insights into the workplace component that might not have been obtained by using another evaluation methodology.