Mentoring is critical but vulnerable as a component of workplace learning Rachel.Lofthouse@ncl.ac.uk Mentoring IN & FOR workplace learning Workplace Vulnerabilities Seeking ‘critical care’ Mentoring as workplace/practice-based learning - shaped by curriculum, pedagogies & epistemologies. Mentoring is influenced by the context, policy changes & individuals’ prior experiences & beliefs. QTS - core occupational capacity. Need to develop wider sustained occupational competences. Duality of school placement – invitation to learn & learner engagement. School context affects learning & workplace processes. Mentors act as mediators / gatekeepers. Variations exist in mentoring. Dependency of trainees on school community, less access to peer group or outside support – changes practice ‘architectures’. Mentors can model professional learning activities (e.g. questioning, dialogue). Performativity can limit learning. Trend towards judgementoring. QTS as the dominant discourse. Activity Theory offers one way to understand the tensions. Learning curriculum & pedagogy for workplace need refining. HEIs now in QA role – but need to support mentor learning. SD as ‘workplace learning’ requires quality mentoring. Mentoring can be compromised by the urgent & growing demands of the workplace.