Magister Artium - MA / This research paper investigates the extent to which the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is implemented in the Real Estate industry within the Johannesburg Metropolitan area. The Real Estate industry is an ideal industry to assess the prior learning of real estate agents since there is no doubt that such a workplace has been recognized as an effective and efficient learning environment which allows workers to take part in an ever-changing work environment (Le Clus, 2011). Despite the availability of resources from different entities, i.e. the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), RPL centres, Umalusi, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), and so on (OECD, 2010) there seems to be incompatibility between the existing policy and the implementation of such policy in the Real Estate industry. Hence, to paraphrase a common theme within the literature (Cameron and Miller, 2004) there is a gap between the promise and rhetoric of RPL and the actual reality, and a disjuncture between policy formulation and implementation of RPL. Also, most research (Cameron and Miller, 2004) reveals that RPL has neither fulfilled its promised potential of encouraging the previously disadvantaged groups to access formal education and training, nor achieved its goal as a mechanism for social inclusion. The two primary research questions for this research paper were: Why are potential RPL candidates not taking the RPL route to obtain their certification? What are the barriers that obstruct efficient RPL implementation within the Real Estate industry? The research design was exploratory within a qualitative framework employing focus group interviewing, individual interviewing and the distribution of questionnaires that consisted of open-ended questions. The research sample comprised nineteen participants that included eight estate agents, four principals, five RPL Centers‟ representatives, one representative from the Services SETA and one representative from the Estate Agency Affairs Board. Master of Education in Adult Education and Global Change - Dissertation [University of the Western Cape] The research findings show that there are serious issues with the implementation current RPL policy within the real estate industry. Many scholars (Colardyn and Bjørna°vold, 2004; Bjørna°vold, 2000) indicate that RPL comes with its challenges, for instance that of the role it can play and the extent to which it can address the twin goals of increasing educational level of participation and employment rates. RPL also takes much time, as Anderson, Fejes and Ahn (2004) stress, to transform non-formal and informal learning into more or less formal learning that is ratified in the form of officially acknowledged certificates. Elements such as lack of or insufficient learner support by advisors and language barriers, have contributed significantly to the dropping out of most candidates. The strength of RPL is that unaccredited knowledge and skills can be brought into the open for everyone to see and, in a sense, come into use (Berglund and Anderson, 2012). This was made evident by the candidates who made it through RPL. RPL has also contributed to social equity and redress by admitting candidates as recognised agents and principals who previously were about to be excluded from the industry due to lack of recognised qualifications.

På grund av den globala flyktingkrisen har invandringen ökat markant i Sverige (SCB, 2017). Etableringsreformen genomfördes 2010 för att hantera de samhälleliga utmaningar som identifierats och med huvudsyfte att påskynda nyanländas etablering på arbetsmarknaden (lag 2010:197). Ansvaret för nyanländas etablering fördelades på olika aktörer där Arbetsförmedlingen fick det primära ansvaret. Arbetsförmedlingens främsta uppgift är att stödja nyanlända att etableras på arbetsmarknaden, vilket innebar att såväl familje- och barnperspektivet som hälsoperspektivet hamnade i bakgrunden av integrationsarbetet. Etableringsreformen innebar även att det är varje kommun som står för integrationsarbetet, vilket kan se olika ut beroende på intresse och förutsättningar. Vidare arbetar myndigheter i så kallad vertikal samordning, som bland annat innebär att ansvarsfördelning mellan angränsande uppdrag kan bli en utmaning (Bolman & Deal, 2012). Det kan också innebära utmaningar för nyanlända som ofta har flera olika kontakter med myndigheter och andra verksamheter. I kommunen där föreliggande studie är genomförd identifierades ett behov av en länkande funktion mellan verksamheterna och de nyanlända, därav valdes det att anställa personal i uppdrag som denna länk. Kommunen har valt att benämna dem som samhällsvägledare med brobyggarfunktion. Studiens syfte är att undersöka förutsättningarna för integrationsarbetet i kommunen, samt samhällsvägledarnas yrkesroll och utveckling av professionell kunskap i deras hälsofrämjande integrationsarbete. Studien genomfördes med kvalitativ metod där inspiration hämtats från den hermeneutiska ansatsen. Semistrukturerad intervju och dokument utgör empirin där tematisk analys genomförts. Resultatet visar att samhällsvägledarnas arbete i huvudsak sker som möten med enskilda individer som de följer i sina ärenden. Arbetet kräver stor anpassningsförmåga och bred kunskap, då det är tydligt behovsstyrt utifrån de enskilda nyanlända. Detta är möjligt inom ramen för etableringens riktlinjer och att samhällsvägledaren arbetar mellan verksamheterna och nyanlända. Utvecklingen av samhällsvägledarens professionella kunskap sker i det dagliga integrationsarbetet. Exempelvis möter de utmaningar som ger inlärningsmöjligheter vid samtal med nyanlända. Samhällsvägledaren står i kontakt med verksamheter i kommunen och lär sig hur dessa arbetar, vilket underlättar deras arbete när de möter nyanlända med liknande behov. Samhällsvägledarnas egen livserfarenhet och kulturella kunskap utgör en annan förutsättning för integrationsarbetet. Vidare kan arbetet anses som hälsofrämjande insatser, genom att samhällsvägledaren tydliggör funktioner i samhället som att förklara hur Arbetsförmedlingen fungerar eller hänvisa till Försäkringskassan. Nyanlända kommer i kontakt med rätt verksamhet utifrån sitt behov via samhällsvägledaren vilket kan skynda på etableringsprocessen. Yrkesrollen är ny och relativt outforskad, vilket gör att studien bidrar till viktig kunskap för integrationsarbetet, vilka kompetenser som kan stödja arbetet och hur yrkesroller som ingår i detta kan utvecklas. / Because of the global migrant crisis, the immigration to Sweden has increased markedly (SCB, 2017). The Establishment Reform was implemented in 2010 to handle the social challenges that were identified and its main purpose was to accelerate the newly arrived's establishment in the job market (lag 2010:197). The responsibility for handling the establishment of the newly arrived was allocated among different actors, were Arbetsförmedlingen was assigned the main responsibility. The primary task of Arbetsförmedlingen is to support the newly arrived to establish themselves in the job market, which entailed that the family perspective and children perspective, as well as the health perspective ended up in the background of the integration work. The Establishment Reform also meant that each municipality is responsible for the integration work, which may look different depending on interest and preconditions. Furthermore, authorities work in what is called "vertical coordination", meaning, among other things, that the assignment of responsibility between delimited assignment may become a challenge (Bolman & Deal, 2012). It may also mean challenges for the newly arrived, which is often in contact with numerous authorities and other operations. For the municipality were the aforementioned study was carried out, a need was identified for a function which bridged the gap between operations and the newly arrived, hence personel was hired to carry out this function. The municipality choose to denominate these personel as Community Guidance workers with bridging capabilities. The objective of the study was to examine the municipality's integration work preconditions, as well as the Community Guidance worker's profession and the development of professional knowledge for their health promotional integration work. The study was carried out using a quality method, were inspiration was drawn from the hermeneutic approach. Semi-structured interviews and documents constitutes the empirics were thematic analysis were performed. The result of the study shows that the Community Guidance worker's job mainly is carried out as meetings between individuals that they follow in their matters. The work of the Social Guidance worker demands a great ability to adapt and a broad knowledge, as it is distinctively based on the needs of the newly arrived individual. This is possible within the scope of the establishment's guidelines and that the Community Guidance worker works between the operations and the newly arrived. The development of the Community Guidance worker's professional knowledge is formed in the everyday integration work. They will for instance happen upon challenges that will bring about learning possibilities through conversations with the newly arrived. The Community Guidance worker is in contact with the operations in the municipality and will gain knowledge regarding how they work, which in turn will facilitate their own work when the meet newly arrived with similar needs. The Community Guidance worker's own life experiences and cultural understanding constitutes a different prerequisite for the integration work. Further, this work may be seen as health promotional efforts, as the Community Guidance worker clarifies social functions such as explaining how Arbetsförmedlingen works or refer them to Försäkringskassan. The newly arrived will be put I contact with the correct operation based on their need, via the Community Guidance worker, which may accelerate their establishment process. The profession is new and relatively unexplored, which makes this study a valuable contribution to integration work, what expertise will support integrationwork and how the professions that are part of this work may be developed.

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Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur förutsättningarna för informellt lärande mellan kollegor påverkats i en tid där distansarbete blivit allt mer etablerat bland organisationer och arbetstagare. Att lyckas med digitalt lärande i arbetslivet anses viktigt då detta leder till en konkurrenskraftig organisation som utvecklas. Vi har undersökt hur möjligheterna till informellt lärande påverkas och vilka fallgropar det kan resultera i, samt hur lärandet kan stärkas och ta nya former. Studien är av kvalitativ form och semistrukturerade intervjuer var vår metod för datainsamling. Tio intervjuer genomfördes där samtliga informanter arbetar i en offentlig förvaltning i en av Sveriges regioner. Vi har med ett induktivt synsätt och med inspiration av den fenomenologiska ansatsen kommit fram till vårt resultat genom informanternas egna upplevelser av arbetsplatslärande. Resultatet som framkom var att lärandet tvingats ta nya former i takt med att distansarbetet ökat, vilket gjort att möjligheterna till lärande förskjutits mer från arbetsgruppen till den enskilda medarbetaren. En brist på social närvaro har upptäckts när man sitter och arbetar på distans, samtidigt som känslan också är att man aldrig varit närmre kollegorna runt om i regionen, nu när alla sitter på samma digitala avstånd. En annan upptäckt är hur mentalt närvarande och delaktig man är under digitala möten då en upplevelse av skärmtrötthet uppdagats. Ett annat fynd vi hittat är hur arbetsplatsen i dagsläget implementerat strategier som både varit mer och mindre lyckade för att lärande ska kunna ske även på distans, samt hur kunskapssökande kan tas i uttryck. / The aim for this study was to investigate how the presumptions for informal workplace learning and knowledge transfer between colleagues were affected by the increase of teleworking, which has become more and more established among organizations and employees. The success of digital learning is essential if you wish to sustain or become a competitive and developing organization. We have examined how the possibilities for informal learning has been influenced by teleworking, and what sorts of shortcomings this might lead to. We also wanted to research how the knowledge transfer may be invigorated and transformed due to the possibilities with teleworking. With a qualitative method and 10 semi-structured interviews with employees in a government-controlled business in a Swedish region, we collected our data, which led to our result. Our approach to answer the study’s purpose has been with an inductive eye and a phenomenological point of view, trying to understand and make conclusions based on our informants’ experiences of learning during teleworking. Our presented result shows that the process of knowledge transfer has, as a consequence of teleworking, shifted from the working party to the individual worker who now must rely on its own abilities. A lack of social presence has been discovered, but at the same time, the feeling of being closer than ever with all your colleagues in the region has appeared, since the digital distance is now equal to everyone. Another discovery mentions the mental presence during digital meetings, and how involved you are in them during the working day, with an experienced increase of screen fatigue. Furthermore, our research also examined how currently implemented strategies were more or less successful to maintain a knowledge transfer among colleagues, together with how knowledge seeking is expressed in the organization.

L'entrepreneur, grand absent du paysage économique pendant une grande partie du vingtième siècle, est de retour. Le profil de l'entrepreneur contemporain est étroitement lié aux caractéristiques de l'individu hypermoderne : un sujet mobile, qui exige sa liberté, qui construit ses propres réseaux, qui a ses propres aspirations. La motivation dans l'acte entrepreneurial n'est pas uniquement le profit, elle peut varier entre la recherche d'épanouissement, et la création de son propre emploi. Les dispositifs d'accompagnement à la création d'entreprise se sont multipliés et l'enseignement de l'entrepreneuriat est devenu une priorité. L'objectif de cette recherche est l'étude du processus d'apprentissage de l'entrepreneuriat dans une approche biographique, mettant l'accent sur les apprentissages informels. Le groupe des entrepreneurs n'étant pas une catégorie sociale homogène, l'échantillon a été construit à partir d'un seul domaine d'activité, la cosmétique biologique. La recherche repose sur l'étude de récits de vie de six entrepreneurs spécialisés dans ce secteur. Cette étude met en évidence trois types de phénomènes qui apportent un éclairage sur le processus d'apprentissage de l'entrepreneuriat : des phénomènes spécifiques au monde de la cosmétique biologique, des phénomènes communs à tous les entrepreneurs mais qui prennent une forme différente en fonction de l'histoire personnelle de celui-ci, et des phénomènes spécifiques à chaque entrepreneur, qui montrent l'influence biographique sur la manière d'entreprendre. Cette thèse ouvre, en conclusion, des perspectives sur l'utilisation des histoires de vie comme méthode de soutien à la création d'entreprise. / The entrepreneur, who has been missing from the economic landscape for the majority of the twentieth century, is back. The profile of the contemporary entrepreneur is closely linked to the characteristics of the hypermodern individual : a mobile person demanding their freedom, and constructing their own network, with their own ambitions. The motivation behind the creation of a business is not only making profit; it can vary from the pursuit of personal fulfilment to the necessary creation of one’s own job. Mechanisms to support setting up new businesses have proliferated, and teaching entrepreneurship nowadays has become a priority.The goal of this research is to study the entrepreneurial learning process within a biographical approach, stressing informal learning. As the entrepreneurs do not form a homogenous social category, the sample was created from one activity domain : organic cosmetics. This research is based on the study of life-stories of six entrepreneurs specialising in this domain. This study shows three types of phenomena, shedding light on the entrepreneurial learning process: phenomena that are specific to the biological cosmetics domain, phenomena shared by all entrepreneurs but taking different shapes according to their personal story, and phenomena specific to each entrepreneur showing the biographical influence on the learning method. This thesis opens new perspectives on the possible uses of accounts of life as a method to assist in setting up new businesses.

The purpose of the study has been to discover what motivates the elderly to participate in informal learning activities after the retirement age. The study is qualitative, interpretation being used as the theoretical knowledge approach. The result is based on interviews that have been focusing on eight respondents aged over 65 years old residents in Ängelholm Municipality, Sweden. The interpretation of the data collected is mainly based on the Health Lifestyles theory (Cockerham, 2005) and on the framework for the benefits of learning (Schuller, 2004). The interviews were interpreted, thematized and presented as results in Chapter 5 of the present study. The interpretation resulted in four main themes: a healthier lifestyle, the feeling of self- realization, a new aim in life and an active social life. From those themes, the analysis of the results presents three main motivational factors that are found as stimulating the elderly to participate in informal learning activities: the psychological factor, the social factor and the healthy lifestyle factor. The study presents a clear connection between the mental wellbeing among the elderly and their participation in activities promoting informal learning. The results show clearly that elderly who are taking part in informal learning activities have a defined, active social life and a broad social network, signalling clearly the positive effects of learning activities on combating social isolation and loneliness. The results of the study can be used in future research projects analysing the concept of lifelong learning in the elderly age, and it can constitute as well a starting point for social strategies at the municipality and local level that focus on combating loneliness and social isolation among elderly.

La recherche qui est au centre de ce travail de thèse porte sur les opportunités d’apprentissage qui s’offrent à la personne à l’occasion de la rencontre avec d’autres cultures que la sienne. Elle se focalise plus spécifiquement sur l'observation d'une « communauté » virtuelle, également organisation internationale, consacrée au partage d'informations et de témoignages sur le Web et les réseaux sociaux. Cette communauté, appelée Global Voices, est une organisation de médias qui se divise en régions et langues. Elle compte plus de 800 participants. La plupart de ces participants sont des auteurs et des traducteurs bénévoles.Le cadre conceptuel de la recherche mobilise des théories de l’apprentissage, et notamment celles qui concernent les apprentissages par la participation dans les communautés, dans leurs dimensions interculturelles. Nous nous sommes appuyé également sur certains apports de la sociologie de la communication.Nous avons utilisé une approche monographique pour étudier la « communauté » et ses dynamiques de travail et de participation. Les résultats de cette recherche sont aussi le fruit d'une observation impliquée qui repose sur notre participation à plusieurs postes au sein de Global Voices sur une durée de six ans. L’analyse des données recueillies montre comment les interactions au sein de l’organisation, et les histoires et les témoignages qui se partagent sont aussi pour les membres de Global Voices des expériences d’apprentissage qui mobilisent des processus complexes d’ordre cognitif mais aussi affectif. / The research presented here deals with learning opportunities available to peoplewhen they encounter a different culture. The thesis focuses specifically on the observationof a virtual « community », also an international organization, devoted to share informationand personal accounts online through social media. This community, called Global Voicesis a media organization whose content and teams are divided in regions and languages. Thecommunity is made of over 800 participants, most of them volunteer authors and translators.The conceptual frame of the research uses theories of learning, specially thosedevoted to describe learning through participation in communities, and in an interculturaldimension. We have also searched support on the contributions coming from the Sociologyof Communication.The research uses a monographic approach to study the « community » and itsdynamics of work and participation. The results of the research are also the fruit of anengaged observation work supported by my own participation, a 6 year long participationthat included different roles and levels of engagement inside Global Voices.The analysis of the data show the ways in which interactions at the heart of theorganization, as well as the stories and testimonies shared through Global Voice’s work arealso learning for its learners. Finally, it is concluded that these learning experiences alsobring with them complex processes of a cognitive, but also affective order.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka förutsättningar som finns för entreprenörers informella lärande iinkubatorer och att öka förståelsen för hur informella lärandet där kan främjas. Undersökningen har en kvalitativ ansats och datainsamlingen genomfördes med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sammanlagt utfördes sex intervjuer med entreprenörer som är med i inkubatorer och fyra med anställda i inkubatorer. Resultaten visade olika individuella och kollektiva faktorer som i inkubatorn bidrar till reflektion och erfarenhetsbaserat lärande. Vidare visar studien att inkubatorn bör planera tillfällen för att möten och informellt lärande ska ske. Inkubatorn bör också skapa strukturella och kulturella förutsättningar som till exempel en positiv stämning för att den dialog som bidrar till reflektion och erfarenhetsbaserat lärande ska kunna skapas. En av de viktigaste slutsatserna är att den diskussion entreprenörerna har med andra entreprenörer starkt bidrar till reflektion och erfarenhetsbaserat lärande genom utmaning till reflektion, kollektiv intelligens, erfarenhetsutbyte och återkopplingar. Det är därför väsentligt för inkubatorn att skapa förutsättningar och tillfällen för att möten som bidrar till informellt lärande ska ske. En annan slutsats är att det är viktigt att det stöd entreprenörerna får är anpassat till deras behov. Slutligen bidrar den stödperson (coach eller mentor) de regelbundet träffar starkt till reflektion och erfarenhetsbaserat lärande. / The study’s purpose is to investigate the conditions that exist for entrepreneurs' informal learning in incubators and increase the understanding of how informal learning can be promoted in incubators. The survey has a qualitative approach and the data collection was carried out with the help of semi-structured interviews. A total of six interviews were conducted with entrepreneurs who are part of incubators and four with employees in incubators. The results showed various individual and collective factors that in the incubator contribute to reflection and experience-based learning. Furthermore, the study shows that the incubator needs to plan opportunities for meetings and informal learning to take place. The incubator also needs to create structural and cultural conditions such as a positive atmosphere for the dialogue that contributes to informal learning to be created in incubators. One of the most important conclusions is that the dialog entrepreneurs have with other entrepreneurs strongly contributes to reflection and experience-based learning through collective intelligence, exchange of experience and feedback. It is therefore essential for the incubator to create conditions and opportunities for meetings that contribute to informal learning to take place. Another conclusion is that it is important that the support the entrepreneurs receive is adapted to their needs. Finally, the coach or mentor they regularly meet strongly contributes to their reflection and experiential learning.

in English: The thesis has two goals: determine the extent of support maternity centers provide to the career development of their active female members. And the second goal is to find out how active female members see the role of volunteerism in maternity centers in their pursuit of employment and career development. The theoretical part describes elemental definitions of career, differences between feminine and masculine careers, female career types, what women face in the labor market and informal learning in female career. Description of volunteering and the contribution motivation in volunteer activities has in career development is also included. Finally, the aforementioned maternity centers intended for women on maternity and parental leave and seeking a place to support them in self-fulfillment and development are also addressed. Empiric part is led by quantitative method of data collection utilizing questionnaire survey designated for both current and former active center members cooperating with association "Síť pro rodinu, z.s.". Research result is represented by collected answers to designated research inquiry.

The purpose of this study is to examine managers' perceived influence on informal learningwithin their work team in a digitalized work environment. The study uses a qualitative methodwith the empirical material gathered using interviews. The data was, after the interviews, interpreted using a hermeneutic orientation. The study's informants are department managers in knowledge intensive workplaces from five different organizations. The results have been interpreted with the help of Illeris (2004) model of workplace learning. After analyzing theempirical data, four themes can be identified: resources, communication, culture and relationship oriented leadership. The result indicates that the informants have a good understanding of what it takes, both from the organization and from their perspectives as managers to enable informal learning. Because of the ever-changing digital work-environment,where remote work is frequent, a fully functioning communication for ideal learning is missing according to the informant's liking. Furthermore the digitized work environment is still in itscrate and that new technical solutions to enable informal learning are being developed continuously in all of the informants organizations. It is harder to establish cohesiveness and organizational culture with work being remote, because there is, for example lack, of everyday conversations. Instead, focus lies on purpose driven conversations and meetings and not at all the spontaneous meetings that happen when people are on site physically. The conclusion is thus that the digital tools are very much established. There is constant development to integrate and digitize training to simplify the informal learning, even if remote work occurs. Organizations and work content is in a transformational phase and has been put to the test during the covid-19 pandemic. What we can identify is that remote work is not changing the way we work all that much. Instead, it is dissolving the physical workplace. The result of these changes is the lack of cohesiveness and the everyday conversations which are fundamental and paramount to establish informal learning. / Studien syftar till att bidra med kunskap om hur chefer anser att de kan påverka till informellt lärande i en digital arbetsmiljö. Undersökningen är av en kvalitativ metod - empirin är insamlad via semistrukturerade intervjuer. Empirin tolkas utifrån en hermeneutisk ansats. Informanterna är avdelningschefer för kunskapsintensiva arbetsbefattningar på fem olika organisationer. Resultaten tolkas med hjälp av Illeris (2004) modell för arbetsplatslärande. Efter den insamlade empirin analyserats identifieras fyra teman: resurser, kommunikation, kultur och relationsorienterad. Resultatet indikerar att informanterna har en god uppfattning av vad som krävs både från organisation och i deras position som chef för att möjliggöra informellt lärande. I en alltmer digital arbetsmiljö där distansarbete är frekvent, saknas en fullt fungerande kommunikation för att möjliggöra ett idealt lärande enligt informanternas tycke. Den digitala arbetsmiljön är i sin linda och nya tekniker för att möjliggöra informellt lärande sker kontinuerligt på flera av organisationerna. Informanterna indikerar även att det är svårare att etablera en samhörighet och gemensam kultur vid distansarbete eftersom den kommunikationen är begränsad. Det blir mer fokus på syftesdrivna samtal och möten, och inte alls lika spontana möten som kan genomföras när samtliga är på plats fysiskt. Slutsatsen är således att de digitala verktygen är starkt etablerade, och det jobbas på att integrera och digitalisera utbildningar för att göra det enklare att etablera det informella lärandet även om distansarbete uppstår. Organisationer och arbeten är i en omställningsfas och har satts på sin spets nu under covid-19 pandemin. Det vi ser är att arbetet i sig inte förändras med distansarbete utan att det snarare handlar om en upplösning av den fysiska arbetsplatsen. Med detta kommer en avsaknad av samhörighet och spontan kommunikation som är grundläggande för att etablera det informella lärandet.