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How to Become a Successful Trainer
Methods and Techniques, Tips, Checklists
(abstract)
Knowledge Centre for Vocational Training & Labour Market
Jana Eggert and Gerd Busse
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Table of contents
1. Prologue
Starting point
The partners
The aim
Sources and acknowledgements
The structure of the guideline in a nutshell
2. Selection and introduction
2.1 Selection
Checklist job interview
2.2 Introduction
Why is introduction important?
Introduction as a process
General rules for a good introduction
The first working day
The introduction program
The introduction talk
Checklist preparation and carrying out of the introduction talk
3. Supervision and coaching
3.1 What is coaching?
Counseling
Mentoring
Training
Confronting
3.2 The different types of coaching
Test your personal coaching style!
3.3 Motivation and feedback
How to motivate the apprentice
How to give feedback
3.4 The progression talk
Checklist progression talk
4. The Instruction
4.1 Instruction preparation
How to choose the right training activities
How to prepare a good instruction
4.2 The instruction talk
Checklist Instruction talk
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
4.3 The instruction
The different instruction methods
The system behind every instruction
Checklist Instruction
5. The process of evaluation
5.1 The assessment during the training/interim assessment
The aims and results of the interim assessment
The methods used for an interim assessment
The requirements of an assessment
5.2 The final assessment
The assessment criteria
Three different categories of assessment criteria
The planning of the final assessment
5.3 Assessment instruments
The observation checklist (job-related and social skills)
The interim assessment form (checklist)
Features of professional competences (a list)
5.4 The assessment interview
Guiding lines for an assessment interview
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Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
1 Prologue
Starting point
The starting point of our guideline How to Become a Successful Trainer was an inquiry
from our friends at Astarte in Bari, Italy, if we in the Netherlands would have any material
on assessment methods and standards that could be used in the on-the-job training
in Italy. Of course, we said, there is an elaborated system of vocational training and
assessment in the Netherlands, but it is highly specific to the situation in our country
with its complex National Qualification Structure (landelijke kwalificatiestructuur)
describing more than six hundred professions, the big regional training centers (Regionale Opleidings-Centra) and the system of legal regulations around vocational training,
examination and certification. How could one transfer such a system to a completely
different situation in another country? After a lot of discussing to and fro the idea was
born to make an experiment and to write, from a Dutch point of view, a textbook for
trainers in small and medium-sized companies in Italy who are in charge of training
young people for a specific profession, and to explain them how to organize and carry
out an on-the-job training and how to assess the achievements of the apprentice.
Since our institute, located near the Dutch-German border, has a lot of relations with
institutions and organizations in the field of vocational training in Germany, we offered
to include also German experiences with training and assessing. At the same time
Astarte in Italy got involved with a Greek and a Belgium training organization in the
same subject-matter. More and more it became a transnational exchange of ideas, so
that Astarte finally decided to make a real European ‘project’ of it and to apply for funds
of the EU-Leonardo-da-Vinci program for vocational training. The project was called
M.E.T.A.: ‘Methodologies of Evaluation in the Training of the Apprenticeship’.
The application was successful, so that we could start to work out our ideas, that is to
collect and concentrate the experiences in the individual countries in order to develop a
kind of guideline for trainers in the countries involved that would help them to improve
the structure of the on-the-job training in their companies.
The partners
The partners involved in the M.E.T.A. project, as we called it, are:
1. Erfea Puglia, Bari (Italy)
2. Astarte, Bari (Italy)
3. Knowledge Centre for Vocational Training & Labour Market, Nijmegen (The
Netherlands)
4. Hellenic Management Association, Athens (Greece)
5. Formation PME, Liège (Belgium)
6. Università di Bari, Dipartamento di Psicologia (Italy)
7. Provincia di Bari, Bari (Italy)
8. Quipo srl, Roma (Italy)
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The aim
What is the aim of the following textbook and whom does it want to reach? To answer
the last question first: our guideline is mainly directed at trainers, especially in small
and medium-sized enterprises, but also at organizations active in the field of train-thetrainer and at policy-makers. It intends to give suggestions and recommendations for
a good practice of on-the-training, on a general and basic level and from a European
perspective. In particular it focuses on...
- how to deal with the problem to train a young man or a young woman in such a way
that the training will provide him or her with the necessary knowledge and skills
to practice a profession on his or her own, that is how to structure the training
process,
- how to support the inherent abilities of the apprentice to learn and to develop
himself,
- how to respond to the specific abilities of the apprentice,
- how to define targets within the training process and
- how to control, assess and evaluate the acquisition of knowledge and competence.
The guideline does not intend, however, to offer a ready-made program that only has to
be applied to guarantee success, that is a highly qualified employee. First of all, it would
be impossible to develop an overall program covering all branches and professions. But
a second argument is even more important. The relationship between trainer and trainee
is to a great extent culturally determined. So what is supposed to work in one culture
could lead to a disaster in another – just think about the differences between Germany
with its strong hierarchical working structures and the Netherlands with its more teamoriented way of working. So what we wanted to do is to find a number of (practical) trainthe-trainer approaches in the Netherlands and Germany worthwhile to discuss them in
our partnership in relation to their ‘transfer value’ and to give suggestions how to adapt
them in a broader European context. But note: the tools presented in the following
chapters took an ‘ideal’ training situation as a starting point. Of course we are aware of
the fact that reality is often far from being perfect and ideal. So to stress it once again:
it is not our intention to offer a program that can be blindly applied to any company
and training situation whatsoever. Instead we would be glad if our guideline could be a
source of inspiration for trainers who want to improve their own style of training and get
from us some useful suggestions they can adapt to their own needs.
Sources and acknowledgements
The following guideline is a kind of ‘synthesis’ of a great number of Dutch and German
text books, manuals, checklists and training documents we were studying for the
current purpose and which are listed in the bibliography at the end of the book.
Especially helpful in the course of our work was the excellent train-the-trainer manual of
Ton Rijkers: it helped us to understand a few things better, to find the adequate ‘didactic
tone’ and an appropriate structure for our guideline. On the German side we were happy
that we could rely of the well- structured training material of the ZWH (Zentralstelle
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
für die Weiterbilding im Handwerk). Furthermore the text books and guidelines of KC
Handel, SOM, INNOVAM, PCBB and the University of Heidelberg were of great help in
generating checklists, rules and tips.
The structure of the guideline in a nutshell
Our textbook starts, in chapter 2, with the selection and introduction of the apprentice,
including checklists for the job interview and the introduction talk. Chapter 3 deals
with supervision and coaching in the training process; we will present different types
of supervising and coaching, offer a test to find out what is your personal coaching
style, discuss the importance of feedback and progression talks and give a checklist
for a progression talk. Chapter 4 contains a detailed overview of the instruction, its
preparation and the carrying-out; we discuss different styles of instruction and give
a checklist to structure the instruction. In chapter 5, finally, you will find a detailed
description of the evaluation process, that is the interim and the final assessment, their
aims and results, methods and criteria, instruments and checklists.
One last remark: In the following text we consequently speak about the apprentice as
him. Of course, we are aware of the fact that there are also female apprentices but for
the sake of simplicity we decided to use only the male form though we always meant
male and female apprentices.
We report integral text of chapter 3
3 Supervision and coaching
As a trainer you are responsible for the supervision and coaching of the apprentice
from the moment he starts with the on-the-job training until the moment he finishes.
You supervise the apprentice not only in his learning and working process, but also
in his personal development. Be all the time aware of how important it is to provide
continuous coaching.
A good trainer has to know:
- what coaching means;
- something about the different kinds of coaching and which one he prefers and
uses;
- how to motivate the apprentice;
- why it is important to give feedback and which is the best manner to do it;
- when and how to organize talks about the progress the apprentice has made.
3.1 What is coaching?
As you maybe already know, the word ‘to coach’ is a word from the world of sports.
A ‘coach’ is actually a ‘trainer’. Think about the coach of a football team: he has to
make important decisions about the strategy used during a football game, he has
to organize a good training for his players in order to prepare them to get the best
results in a game and to resist the pressure, he has to lead and support them before
and during the game. You as an in-company trainer have quite the same tasks.
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You have to realize that coaching is more than only the giving of work instructions
and the supervision of how the apprentice has fulfilled the task. Coaching means:
counselling, mentoring, training, confronting.
Counseling
During the on-the-job training there are always problems the apprentice has to deal
with. It is important that the apprentice feels that he can share all kinds of problems with
you. He has to trust you and not be afraid of telling you. It is important that you leave
the initiative for the first step by the apprentice. If you see that the apprentice has a
problem and he does not tell you, you have to ask him about that. Let him try to describe
the problem is and the causes of it. Help him to find the proper words. Together with the
apprentice you try to find a good solution. This is ‘counselling’.
Mentoring
During his training the apprentice is a part of the team and has to deal not only with
you as the trainer, but also with other colleagues. He has to develop social skills and to
learn something about the ‘policy’ of the company. In what way do you deal with certain
colleagues? What is appropriate to say and what not? How do you have to behave?
Besides, you help the apprentice to define his own place in the company, to get to know
what he wants, what are his strong and weak points, what he wants to achieve during
the training and in the future. In this way you motivate the apprentice to get the best he
can from his training period. This is the essence of ‘mentoring’.
Training
The main task of a trainer is to provide good training and to teach the apprentice the
working skills he needs in his work. To do so you use practice exercises or other forms
of exercise. You prepare work instructions and give them to him. You explain difficult
things in an understandable way and supervise the completion of the task. This is the
meaning of ‘training’.
Confronting
You have to make clear to the apprentice what you expect from him during the training.
Also describe how you imagine the different ways the apprentice can achieve the
expected results. But give him also enough space for own initiative and the development
of a style of his own. Try to give feedback in a proper way, then the apprentice will be
able to correct his behaviour on his own. This is the essence of ‘confronting’.
Tip: Important is to use all these components during the training process in a proper
way. Depending on the apprentice, sometimes you have to be more a mentor, and
sometimes more confronting. A good coach is someone who knows his apprentice well.
To achieve that, he has to have a lot of contact with the apprentice. Another word for
‘coaching’ is therefore ‘eye-in-eye-management’!
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
3.2 The different types of coaching
There are different kinds of coaching. The way you coach depends for a great deal on
your own personality. Everyone has his own coaching style, a preferred style.
There are two dimensions of the coaching style:
- Task-oriented: to what extent the fulfilment of a particular task is the main issue during
the coaching. The task and the achieved result are important. Task-oriented coaching
implies a lot of guidance, that means to specify who is going to do what, when, where
and how to do.
- Human-oriented: to what extent the individual who has to fulfil the task is the main
issue during the coaching. The person and the relationship are important. Humanoriented coaching is supportive, that means encouragement, listening, helping, working
together.
The combination of these two dimensions leads to four different ways of coaching.
We will give a short description of every type. You will also find a test giving you the
possibility to determine the style of coaching you have or prefer.
To instruct
This coaching style is more task-oriented and less human-oriented. That means: a lot
of guidance, and a little bit of support. You are the one who gives the work instructions
and who decides how to fulfil the task. You give a clear structure: the apprentice knows
exactly what he has to do, how he has to do it and when he has to be ready. The result of
the work counts. There is little space for own initiative.
To convince
This coaching style is both task- and human-oriented. That means: a lot of guidance, but
also a lot of support. You are not only telling the apprentice what he has to do, how and
where, but also why he has to do it. You look at the task to be fulfilled as a problem, that
has to be solved by the apprentice with your support. Initiative, own ideas and solutions
are welcome. In this way you motivate and stimulate the apprentice.
To co-operate
This coaching style is less task-oriented and more human-oriented. That means little
guidance and a lot of support. Co-operation is only possible if the tasks are completely
clear to the apprentice. You don’t have to explain a lot and control isn’t necessary either.
The relationship between you and the apprentice is important, and you try to help him
in all possible ways.
To delegate/ to monitor
This coaching style is less task-oriented and more human-oriented. That means little
guidance and little support. The apprentice is allowed to determine/define by himself
what and when he is going to fulfil the task and how he will do it. You give a lot of
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freedom and responsibility to the apprentice. You ask him now and then how it is going
and if there are any problems.
Which coaching style is the most suitable one, depends on:
- the knowledge level and the capabilities of the apprentice: with a low knowledge level
and at the beginning of the training period, you better use the style of ‘instruction’, with
a higher level of knowledge and towards the end of the training the style of ‘delegation’
is the more suitable one;
- the self-confidence of the apprentice: in the case of little self-confidence, you can better
use the style of ‘co-operation’ or ‘conviction’; in the case of sufficient self-confidence
you should ‘delegate’;
- the motivation of the apprentice: with little motivation you can better use ‘conviction’
and sometimes ‘instruction’, with a lot of motivation you can choose to ‘delegate’;
- the degree of difficulty of the task: in this case the most important thing is to explain
and to give the right instructions;
- the time you have or want to invest: you spend more time with ‘convincing’ and less
with ‘delegating’.
Now that we have explained the different types of coaching, it is your turn to determine
which one you want to use to teach. Make the test and learn more about your own
coaching style.
Test your personal coaching style!
The test consist of 36 statements. Read the statements carefully and think about how far
each of them suits your own coaching style and your personality. You can choose from
two kinds of answers: write an ‘A’ when you agree with the statement, and a ‘B’ when
you disagree. There are no right or wrong answers in this test. The aim is to determine
your preference for a particular coaching style. So answer honestly how you think and
act, and do not say how you want to think and act.
Here we go:
1. One has to work and not talk and think too much.
2. As a trainer I do not always have to be a good example for the apprentice.
3. I always take the initiative and determine the tasks.
4. People like to solve their problems on their own, and so do I.
5. I expect my colleagues to work hard, and so do I.
6. I like to take decisions by myself, but I always appreciate any information and advise from my colleagues
that will make my decision easier.
7. I expect that people go for hundred percent.
8. A boss has the task to plan and to control.
9. One has to work and not talk and think too much.
10. As a trainer I do not always have to be a good example for the apprentice.
11. I always take the initiative and determine the tasks.
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
12. People like to solve their problems on their own, and so do I.
13. I expect my colleagues to work hard, and so do I.
14. I like to take decisions by myself, but I always appreciate any information and advise from my colleagues
that will make my decision easier.
15. I expect that people go for hundred percent.
16. A boss has the task to plan and to control.
17. I try to solve tensions and conflicts by talking about them.
18. I do not like to control others.
19. When somebody has a problem, I expect him to take the first step and to inform me.
20. I know that it is better to praise the good things instead of criticising the negative ones.
21. When somebody makes a mistake, I give him a reprimand.
22. I have an open mind for all kinds of new ideas, but I am the only one who decides if an idea also becomes
reality.
23. My conviction is: Give people freedom.
24. During team meetings I am the one who talks and informs. I expect from my colleagues that there is no
discussion about the things I say.
25. I find it important that people organize their work in their own way.
26. I decide together with my colleagues which results we have to achieve and how we will do that.
27. I am the one who has the last word.
28. I like it when others think together with me.
29. I accept the way my colleagues are.
30. I consider it very important that everyone does not stop learning during lifetime.
31. I tell my colleagues what I expect from them, but I have an open mind for suggestions from their side.
32. Everyone tries to do the best they can.
33. People must be able to control and correct their own behaviour.
34. After finishing a big deal, I discuss it with my colleagues in order to filter out the useful lessons.
35. People come to work in order to work.
36. I listen carefully what others have to say, and I am always ready to change my own point of view.
37. When people try to follow the policy of the company, it does not matter how they do it.
38. I consider myself more someone who helps than someone who leads others.
39. I think it is important that my colleagues understand why they do certain things.
40. It is not important to be the one who has the last word.
41. I do not feel the need to control everyone all the time if they do a good job.
42. My colleagues can always say anything to me.
43. I am able to delegate the responsibility to someone else.
44. I would like that people do the work the way I like it to be done. I am the one with the final
responsibility.
Interpretation
Write your answers (the ‘A’s and the ’B’s) in the table below. Each of the columns
corresponds with a particular coaching style. For each statement you have answered
with an ‘A’ you can count one point. For statements with a ‘B’ there is no point. The
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coaching style with the most points, is the one you use automatically. This is your style
of preference.
1.
6.
2.
4.
3.
14.
9.
7.
5.
18.
12.
10.
8.
20.
21.
11.
13.
22.
24.
15.
16.
23.
30.
17.
19.
26.
32.
25.
27.
28.
33.
29.
36.
31.
34.
35.
To instruct
To convince
To co-operate
To delegate
3.3 Motivation and feedback
How to motivate the apprentice?
The lack of motivation is one of the biggest problems that you as trainer may have to
deal with during the on-the-job training. It is important to realize that the first step
towards a better motivation is self-criticism. It is useless to blame the other, you have
to look at your own behaviour, because you are the one who motivates, neutralizes or
de-motivates.
But what is the meaning of the word ‘motivation’? To motivate means ‘to put in movement’.
It is the mental function that produces, sustains and regulates the behaviour. This is the
inner source that induces someone to do what he wants to do. To motivate an apprentice
means to treat him in such a way that he does something because he wants to. When an
apprentice does something because you want him to do it, but he does not really want
it by himself, then you are manipulating. Be aware of the difference between motivating
and manipulating!
You can motivate the apprentice by:
- Giving him interesting tasks or exercises: by doing so you give the apprentice a
challenge he has to master. Taking this challenge, he becomes motivated to reach the
best results and to show you that he is capable of doing it. It depends on the apprentice
which task or exercise he considers an interesting one. Ask him about it; by giving him
something he finds really interesting, you motivate him to do the best he can.
- Giving him some kind of award: there are different kinds of awards - money is only
one of them. The more important ones are appreciation and compliments. Show the
apprentice regularly that you appreciate the way he is working or doing something and
give a compliment when the apprentice deserves one.
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
- Leading short motivation talks: the aim of these talks is to stimulate the apprentice
to fulfil a task or to reach the best results. The best way is to take the apprentice aside
and ask about the reasons for his de-motivation. Discuss together possible solutions
and alternatives. Choose the solution that matches the best with the situation and the
apprentice.
Tip: Ask the apprentice about the things that motivate him in the work process. You will
see that money is not the most important one. More important are: interesting work,
appreciation, nice colleagues, a pleasant workplace, a good atmosphere, high quality of
the material and so on.
How to give feedback?
Feedback is information about the behaviour of a person or about the results of this
behaviour, directed towards the same person for purposes of evaluation. The aim of
feedback is to encourage this behaviour or to make corrections. It belongs to your task
as a trainer to give regular feedback. It is important to give good, constructive feedback,
because only then you reach the best results in the training. Note that there are two
kinds of feedback: the negative one and the positive one.
To give negative feedback, that is to show somebody what he has done wrong and
what are the negative consequences of this fault, is very difficult. It helps to remember
that everyone can make mistakes. And an apprentice does it more often than others,
because he is still in the learning process. But we all learn from our mistakes, and so the
apprentice will.
To give a good feedback, when an apprentice has done something wrong, you can follow
these guiding lines:
- Give direct feedback. Do not wait too long with your feedback. When time passes, the
feedback loses its impact.
- Shape a trustful atmosphere. Give feedback always in strict confidence and never
when others are around. Use the I-form of the sentence (I saw that..., I hear that..., I
notice that...).
- Say the things you have to say in a neutral and credible way. Describe the mistake as
precise as possible and mention the concrete consequences. Use clear, understandable
language and not general statements such as ‘that is wrong’. Explain why it is wrong and
how it has to be done.
- Ask about the opinion of the apprentice. In this way you make it possible for him to give
you a direct reaction. Listen to what the apprentice has to say and how he says it. Is he
neglecting what you are saying, has he a defending attitude, or is he ready to listen and
open for criticism? You can adapt your own strategy to his reaction
- Give your own opinion. Try to describe as sincerely as possible your own opinion and
feelings.
- Let the apprentice know that you would like to see a change. Define clearly what
kind of change you would like to see in the behaviour of the apprentice. Give him the
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feeling, that you will offer all the necessary support. Be realistic and do not expect the
impossible from someone.
- Ask the apprentice about possible solutions. Involve the apprentice in the search for
solutions. Let the apprentice take the first step. Try not to impose your own ideas on him.
You will achieve the best results when both of you agree on how to solve the problem.
- Choose the best match between solution and mistake. The aim of your feedback is to
change the behaviour of the apprentice in such a way that he does not make the same
mistake again. That is why you have to choose the solution that leads to the best results
and prevent him to make the same mistake. Which solution is the best depends on the
situation and the mistake.
Tip: Positive feedback is as important as negative feedback. Positive feedback
strengthens self-confidence and motivation. Most of us feel the need to do better and
better. A compliment can perform miracles! Try to make compliments or to show your
appreciation not only individually, but also when others are around. Stimulate and
encourage the apprentice to follow his way.
3.4 The progression talk
Central in this talk are the temporary/interim assessments and the progress the
apprentice made in his training. There is no guiding line about how often or how much
talks you have to lead.
Important is that:
- you are up to date about the achievements and the progress of the apprentice;
- you discuss with him the further course of the training and how he can reach the best
results and develop the necessary capabilities;
- you talk about attitude and behaviour.
Tip: Try not to be the only one who talks during the conversation, but give also the
apprentice the possibility to say what he wants to say and to give his opinion.
Checklist progression talk
The following list gives you an idea about how to structure a progression talk. There are
three parts to be distinguished: preparation and opening, the course of the training and
the functioning of the apprentice, and the rounding-off.
Phase 1: preparation and opening
- Take all the time you need.
- Do everything necessary to create a relaxed atmosphere. Choose a quiet place, take care that nothing and
nobody disturbs you.
- Take care that you are well prepared for the talk. Decide which topics you will discuss, and how you want
to discuss them. That means that you have to know everything about the arrangements made the previous
time, how the general training planning looks like, if there are interim assessments you need to talk about,
and what the state of progression exactly is.
Methodologies of Evaluation of Training in Apprenticeship
How to Become a Successful Trainer
- Be sure that the apprentice comes also well prepared to the talk. Let him know in time when the talk will
take place (at least one week in advance), so he can think about the things he will discuss with you.
- Open the conversation by saying what is the aim of the talk, the topics you will discuss with him, the length
of the talk and the arrangements you would like to make for a good continuation of the training.
Phase 2: the course of the training and the functioning of the apprentice
- Discuss the achieved training results.
- Ask the apprentice how the training is going. Are there any problems? Which ones? Are the training
activities sufficiently structured and alternated?
- Discuss the coaching/mentoring. Is the apprentice satisfied with the way of coaching? Are the instructions
clear and understandable? Is he receiving enough feedback? Is there something that bothers him or that he
wants to happen in a different way? Does the coaching meet the expectations of the apprentice?
- Discuss the development of the knowledge and the capabilities of the apprentice. Let him describe what he
has learned in the last weeks. Does he make progress in his learning? Does he have the feeling to become
more and more skilled in the profession?
- Discuss the motivation and the attitude of the apprentice. Does he still like his work? Why? Is there
something he does not like so much? How can he change it? Does he like the atmosphere in the company?
Does he like his colleagues? Are there any problems with colleagues?
- Discuss the communication between you and the apprentice. Does he find that the communication is
sufficient? Is the communication clear for both of you?
- Give the apprentice space to ask questions. Take all he says seriously and try to find solutions together.
Phase 3: rounding-off
Of the talk
- Give a short summary of the results of the talk.
- Make arrangements for the further course of the training and the aims to be achieved.
- Pay a compliment about the talk and the good co-operation.
Afterwards
- Make a short report about the outcomes of the talk.
- Make notes about the wishes of the apprentice and the arrangements you made.
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