hands-on

Possibly from the phrase all hands on deck.

• (British Isles, Eastern New England) IPA^(key): /ˌhændz ˈɒn/, [ˌhæn‿ˈzɒn]
• (Northern US, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˌhændz ˈɑn/, [ˌhæn‿ˈzɑn], [ˌhɛən‿ˈzɑn]
• (Southern American English, Midland US) IPA^(key): /ˌhændz ˈɔn/, [ˌhæn‿ˈzɔn]
• (Southern American English) IPA^(key): /ˌhændz ˈɔʊn/, [ˌhæn‿ˈzɔʊn]

hands-on (not comparable)

1. Involving active participation.

   The internship will provide hands-on training.

   Our manager has a very hands-on approach.

   Hands-on computing can make complicated computer tasks more natural to users.

   The museum offers hands-on exhibits for children.

   • 2023 March 8, Neil Robertson, “Tackling the skills shortage”, in RAIL, number 978, page 33:

     Apprenticeship programmes supply the industry with an ongoing cohort of qualified talent. It is much cheaper to train new people than to pay inflated wages to attract existing talent. Apprenticeships are also a useful way of teaching the practical, hands-on skills that the modern railway needs.

• at the coal face
• front line
• in the trenches
• action-based

• action learning
• learning by doing
• roll up one's sleeves

hands-on (plural hands-ons)

1. A session of active participation, often as part of training or education.

• Shandon