2.1.2.6. Being resilient Resilience is important for coping with set-backs, the ups and downs, the doubts that especially plague beginning non-permanent workers. Getting the jobs that bring satisfaction is a result of a combination of all that has been discussed above and takes time to develop. Issues such as non-payment or very late payment and competing against international competitors whose currency is lower, call for resilience. In addition, onerous working conditions such as the demands of long hours over extended periods call for stamina and endurance. Gavin, a soundman, talked about “swallow a lot of pain. The more pain you swallow, the more popular you’ll get,” as part of managing social relations in the sector and on-set. Film and television interviewees used the term ‘malleable’ to describe the way they need to be; malleable refers to a material that can be hammered into shape without cracking or breaking. Shape-shifting is difficult without resilience. It requires a solid core and sense of identity in order to avoid feeling fragmented.
2.1.3.
Learning to learn
Key aspects of learning to learn for our non-permanent workers are, being reflective, reflexive, and a strong ability to recontextualise learning, thus developing strong metacognitive skills.
2.1.3.1. Reflection and reflexivity This involves thinking and feeling activities “in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to new understandings and appreciations” (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 1985, p.19). Being reflexive is more than reflection; being reflexive is not only “the turning back of the experience of the individual upon [her- or himself]” (Mead, 1934: 134, in Tsekeris, 2010, p.28), it is also a consideration of the contextual processes – institutional, social, political (ibid) and particularly important for our non-permanent workers, the industry context and wider market forces. For example, Chandra, a soundman, highlighted the capacity to think on your feet, an ability that requires reflection in action. AEs working across the WSQ and private market note that much of their learning occurred through reflection; this assisted them in constantly realigning and refining products, and drawing value out of past experiences. In addition a reflexive component is evident when they learn from contacts about how the various markets in the sector function. Similarly, Kevin, a freelance film director, talked about the challenges of making it to the top and his decision to “blow the competition out of the water by putting in 110 percent”, indicating a knowledge of the industry and what it means for the strategies he has decided to employ. Reflection and being reflexive can also contribute to a recognition of your suitability or not for this kind of work. Ashley opted for a permanent job in the shipping industry after two years of trying indicating he “didn’t know the difficulty…of being a freelancer.” Limited reflection and reflexivity can also limit possibilities. Borhan for example, was keen to start a business running his own kebab stall but saw no need to pick up additional skills, despite struggling with numeracy skills. Nazri, working in the
Developing non-permanent workers in Singapore
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