Intensification of work

There is seemingly a growing range of workplace-based learning arrangements requiring more experienced workers to assist the development of less experienced co-workers. Much attention has been given to evaluating the quality of these learning arrangements and their outcomes for learners. However, little attention has been given to the demands upon and outcomes for the more experienced workers who assist others ’ development. Given this demand for mentoring in the workplace it is important to understand its impact on those nominated as mentors. In this paper, data from nominated learning guides who were involved in a year-long trial of guided learning in the workplace are used to illuminate the demands upon and benefits for workplace mentors. In this study, all mentors noted the efficacy of guiding learning in the workplace. Also, for some of these guides, it was a worthwhile and enriching experience. However, guiding the learning of others made considerable demands on these individuals. Consistently, the difficulty of finding time for the task and the low level of support of or acknowledgement by management was reported by the mentors. So while there was evidence of its overall utility as reported by both the learners (see Billett & Boud 2001) and the mentors, the mentoring role made the work of these mentors more demanding and intense. So while workplac