Documenting and evaluating
The training report and learning documentation
Documentation and assessment are of great importance throughout vocational education and training for safeguarding and improving learning outcomes for apprentices. The training report and the learning documentation are key tools that are used for this purpose.
The Swiss Federal Act on Vocational Education and Training (BBG) and the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Ordinance (BBV) emphasise the importance of systematic documentation and evaluation in the training process. Vocational trainers are obliged to regularly review and document the educational level of the apprentices. This is carried out primarily with the VET report and on the basis of the learning documentation.
Training report
The BBG stipulates in Article 20 that the managers of the host companies must strive to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for the apprentices and regularly review their progress. The VET Ordinance (BBV) stipulates that the vocational trainer should record the apprentice’s educational level and discusses it with the apprentice at least once a semester. The training report is the tool that should be used for this. Completing a training report is therefore mandatory.
There are different forms of training reports. For example, this could be a variant of the form used for employee qualification interviews. Individual professional organisations provide job-specific assessment sheets with job-specific content. The SDBB provides the profession-neutral form called the “training report”. It is a tool that is tailored to the specific needs of in-company training and can be adopted by vocational trainers.
- Prepare well for the meeting, which will be based on the training report: these two explanatory videos provide helpful tips:
- Explanatory video: Preparing for the meeting
- Explanatory video: Carrying out the discussion
- Clearly define competencies and level of education
- Include and discuss learning documentation
- Discuss performance at vocational colleges and inter-company courses
- Enable appraisal of training by the apprentice
- Define and record common objectives for the next semester
Learning documentation for basic in-company training
Most educational ordinances require that learning documentation is kept. Implementation can vary from profession to profession. Some professional organisations have developed their own learning documentation that is tailored to the specific circumstances of each type of basic vocational education and training. For all other basic VET programmes, the SDBB has issued a neutral working tool entitled “Lerndokumentation betriebliche Grundbildung” (learning documentation for basic in-company vocational education and training).
The apprentice records how their learning is progressing in the learning documentation in the form of learning reports. All substantive work, the acquired skills and experience in the host company should be recorded in as much detail as possible. The learning documentation thus serves as a reference work for the entire apprenticeship. In some professions, the learning documentation can be used as an aid for the final examination. This is governed by the respective education ordinances.
Vocational trainers can gauge from the learning documentation the apprentice’s educational path, professional interest and personal commitment. They must check the learning documentation regularly, sign it and discuss it in detail at the latest when completing the VET report.
The professional learning documentation provided by SDBB-Verlag consists of the following elements:
- Booklet “Anleitung zum Führen der Lerndokumentation” (Instructions for Keeping Learning Documentation)
- Folder with record sheet
- Pad containing learning report forms
The entire learning documentation or individual elements can be found in the SDBB shop .
