ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the attempts made by a development project on Knowledge and Learning in Advanced Supply Systems (KLASS), funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the European ADAPT programme, to support the learning of individuals and organizations in the automotive and aerospace industries. The project sought to support small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) through inter-company learning networks that have a strong focus on both immediate performance improvements and longer-term educational objectives. The underlying pedagogical idea is that there is considerable value in attempting to link processes of knowledge creation with tackling the core problems of manufacturing practice as a means of engaging learners that have traditionally been difficult for educational institutions to reach. The model of learning used with its emphasis upon networking, knowledge creation, linking an initial focus upon performance with a progressive broadening of ideas about learning and development was particularly well suited to its context: supporting learning and development in advanced supply systems. However, the scale of the effort and resources required to make the project successful means that considerable challenges would remain if the model were to be successfully implemented in a range of other contexts.
