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This article argues that researching the lived reality of apprenticeship in contemporary workplaces provides a useful lens through which workplace learning more generally can be examined. Drawing on data from a three-year study of the social and pedagogical relationships between apprentices and older workers in the English steel industry, the article proposes that, building on Engestrom's work, an 'expansive' as opposed to a 'restrictive' approach to apprenticeship will not only deliver the broader goals being set for apprenticeship programs around the world, but will also foster workplace learning. The article offers a critique of Lave and Wenger's novice to expert conceptualisation of apprenticeship and, using data from employee learning logs, argues that pedagogical relationships between apprentices and older workers need to be better understood. A conceptual framework for analysing the relationship between organisational culture and history, work organisation, and workplace learning is provided.