We believe that learning takes place in organisations through the emergence of communities of practice. Etienne Wenger talks about how communities are formed around a “shared repertoire of communal resources (routines, sensibilities, artefacts, vocabulary, styles, etc.) that members have developed over time.” (Wenger, 1999).

We are working to support the development of such communities at local, national and international levels.

This can be through the development of shared web spaces of personal and collaborative learning, through the development of tools and shared resources and through encouraging discourse and interchange around careers policy and practice.

Communities may also be supported through shared projects, based on national or European funding.

Through our involvement in the Mature-IP project we are examining how knowledge emerges or ‘matures’ at both individual and organisational level, and how ideas can be shred and then formalised as training and learning materials.