In comparison to other work domains and to the current state of research, we face on the manufacturing shop floor little attention for the role of informal learning as key driver for manual assembly processes. There, smart assistance systems focus on process qualities and outcomes, not on the workers’ abilities to cope with novel or uncertain work situations. In this paper we present a conceptual approach on how to integrate cognitive automation and self-directed learning at the assembly workplace. We argue for embedding smart learning behavior, based on the model of cognitive apprenticeship and provided by a cognitive architecture, with existing cognitive automation approaches. The conceptual approach is illustrated with the Plant@Hand smart assembly assistant prototype for the industrial assembly workplace.