Tracy:

"When you go to a workplace there is local expertise. What is usually missing is an understanding of learning. You bring learning to the workplace. Our role is to bring what education knows and make it available I need to hold two frames--the big picture and whatever people are trying to learn."

Nancy:

"In the process role, you are the bridge between essential skills and the world of work. As a bridge, you allow the employer and labour to see the relationship between essential skills and work."

Several people noted that workplace education does not mean taking a pre-packaged course that is offered in a more academic setting and plunking it down in the workplace.

C. The Workplace Educator's Client(s)

The predominant theme in people's responses to this question was that the worker or program participant is the central client but the reality is that there are other stakeholders that have invested and need to be considered. Everyone alluded to the complexity of serving the needs of the various stakeholders.

Tracy:

"There are lots of clients. The learners come in different suits. Sometimes a formal committee is a community of learners. Government funders are clients or the HR person or union leader is the client. My client is the worker. In a large workplace the joint committee may be a client and behind the committee all the employees have their interests. I feel if any of those levels were unhappy I would answer to them."

Sue:

"In the workplace we have to serve a number of clients: workers, unions and management while keeping in mind that the heart of this is the needs of the learner."