The Politics of Work-based Learning

This book presents a study of work-based learning (WBL) in the community services sector in New South Wales, Australia. It describes the political economy of higher education and community services, followed by a description of the defining principles and characteristic practices of WBL. The book highlights community sector workers as non- traditional students, in terms of access to higher education, having a strong concern with critical practice in their work. The concluding comments of the book consider the context of WBL under systemic influences of the political economy of the day, notably neo-liberalism and the application of a techno-economic framing of the knowledge economy. Some final comments are offered on the defence of knowledge production as a public good and the lifeworld/system dynamics of higher education/community partnership.

Mick Houlbrook is a lecturer and member of the Social Justice Social Change Research Centre at University of Western Sydney. He has a background as an activist/social justice advocate and has worked as an adult educator in many organisational settings in Australia and the UK; including the community sector and several trade unions.