Who needs the trainer certificate?
Anyone who wants to train apprentices in a German company must prove not only professional but also vocational and work-related teaching aptitude. That is exactly what the trainer certificate is: officially, the passed exam under the AEVO. Many people take it without training anyone straight away. It shows that you can guide people and looks good in any application.
What is examined
The AEVO divides the material into four fields of action that follow the course of an apprenticeship:
- Checking training requirements and planning training
- Preparing training and helping to recruit apprentices
- Carrying out training
- Completing training
How the exam works
The exam is held by the competent body, for most occupations the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the Chamber of Crafts. It has two parts. In the written part you answer case-based questions from all four fields of action. In the practical part you present a training situation or carry it out, for example an instruction session, and then discuss it with the examination board. Each chamber sets its own dates and fees, you can find the current details at your chamber.
Where people struggle in practice
From an examiner’s point of view, it is rarely a lack of knowledge but the execution. In the written part, the question is often not read carefully. In the practical exam, the instruction is too long, the learning objective unclear, or the apprentice hardly gets a word in. And in the discussion, the reason for choosing a method is missing. Knowing this lets you practise in a targeted way.
How to prepare well
You are well prepared if you know the material of all four fields of action, have practised exam questions and have run through the practical exam in front of an audience at least once. With ausbilden24 you can do this online: the course has been reviewed and approved by the German State Central Office for Distance Learning (ZFU). The complete course comprises around 95 hours with a learning portal, practice questions, knowledge articles and live webinars, the self-study course the same content without fixed dates. There is also targeted exam preparation with a mock exam in the IHK format and the examiner session: 45 minutes of personal feedback on your presentation, instruction or discussion. The courses are in German. More under Training.