Grooving to the same tunes? Learning, training and productive systems in the aerobics studio

Closing the productivity gap with other nations has become a mantra of public policy in the UK. Promoting participation in learning and training is seen as the principal means of narrowing the gap. While tracking episodes of training is relatively easy, it is not clear what is learnt, by whom and why. This article examines these questions among a specific occupational group — exercise to music instructors —whose numbers have grown significantly in recent years. It identifies two productive systems through which these aerobic classes are delivered. Each has different consequences for learning. Under one regime, training expands horizons and develops abilities, while under the second instructors are taught to conform and follow scripts written by others. The article argues that 'training' can lead to different learning outcomes and that these are best understood through an analysis of the productive systems in which training and learning takes place.