%0 Journal Article
%@ 0883-0355
%A Guile, D
%A Okumoto, K
%D 2008
%F discovery:1480475
%J International Journal of Educational Research
%N 4
%P 252-260
%T Developing vocational practice in the jewellery sector through the incubation of a new "project-object"
%U https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1480475/
%V 47
%X This paper analyses a work placement scheme established to create the conditions to: (i) incubate new designs in the jewellery sector in Birmingham; (ii) support a jewellery company compete more effectively in the global market; (iii) assist a newly qualified graduate jeweller to enter the jewellery sector. It introduces a new theoretical framework based on concepts from: Cultural-Historical Activity Theory-'project-object'; Workplace Learning-'vocational practice'; Philosophy of Mind-'space of reasons'; to analyse individual and organisational contributions to workplace learning in this scheme. It identifies the strategies and tactics used by: (i) the organisations involved with the scheme to facilitate the incubation of the new designs, and (ii) an aspiring jewellery designer to create a new product range. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this conceptual framework for debates in workplace learning about: (i) the 'front-loaded' versus 'practice-based' conceptions of vocational education and (ii) the role of epistemic objects and practices in the development of vocational practice. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.