“It’s one of the most important things we do”
How advisors facilitate learning among workers in Permanent Adapted Employment (PAE)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15845/ntvp.v11i1.4459Keywords:
guidance, disability, workplace learning, qualification, Social Role Valorization, DeweyAbstract
This qualitative interview study explores how ten advisors facilitate learning among workers in Permanently Adapted Employment (PAE). The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings show that advisors regard learning as a central part of their work and that conditions for learning are essential for the workers’ development. Formal education is supported but considered realistic only for a few. Therefore, informal learning is emphasised, with competency goals from vocational education and the regular labour market serving as reference points. The advisors highlight the workers’ right to define their own goals, even when these diverge from established expectations. Work in PAE is described as equivalent to ordinary employment. The findings point to a significant shift in learning opportunities for workers in PAE and illustrate how advisors contribute to expanding these opportunities. The study is theoretically grounded in Dewey’s philosophy of learning and Wolfensberger’s Theory of Social Role Valorization, offering new insights into how learning is understood and practised in adapted work contexts.
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