| Summary: | Includes bibliographical references. === This research investigates "Project African Dawn" (PAD), a collaborative educational equine skills apprenticeship programme, funded by the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) of Great Britain and hosted by the Cart Horse Protection Association in Cape Town (South Africa). The intention of the programme was to transfer expertise in farriery, saddlery and harness-making, and to create a sustainable development programme. The apprentices were 'second-chance learners' drawn from the local carting community. This research focuses on their perceptions of how the PAD equine skills courses impacted on their identity, their workplace practices and their desire for Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) language, literacy and numeracy or small business development courses. An ethnographic, interpretive, qualitative methodology was employed; a ten-point questionnaire guided the semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of apprentices. These were chosen as being representative of the apprentice population in terms of age, education, cultural and language group. Background interviews were also conducted with course facilitators, programme leaders and members of the community. These data sources were complemented by observations and documentary sources. The conceptual framework drew on the Situated Learning and Communities of Practice model of Lave and Wenger (1993); Experiential Learning theories, Social Literacy theories and Work-Based Learning models. The findings indicate that the PAD programme had a significant impact on the identity of apprentices - enhancing not only their self-image but also their status in the community. The technological skills they acquired corrected and improved their workplace practices not only to their benefit, but also that of their horses and community, and contributed to economic advancement. Most apprentices were interested in further courses in small business development, but not in ABET language and literacy, and the implications of this are explored.
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