Legal Obligation
An apprentice has a legal right to a Certificate of Vocational Training (Ausbildungszeugnis) after completing their training in accordance with § 16 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG). The training company is obliged to issue this certificate. It must not contain false or detrimental information.
Simple Certificate of Vocational Training
A simple Certificate of Vocational Training (Ausbildungszeugnis) only includes details about the type, duration, and objective of the training. It does not contain any evaluations of the apprentice’s performance or conduct. This certificate is mainly relevant for shorter training programs or unsuccessful training.
Qualified Certificate of Vocational Training
A qualified Certificate of Vocational Training (Ausbildungszeugnis) goes beyond the information contained in the simple certificate. It describes and evaluates the apprentice’s performance and behavior towards supervisors, colleagues, and customers. The qualified certificate is generally more significant for further career progression.
Content and Structure
A Certificate of Vocational Training (Ausbildungszeugnis) starts with the personal data of the apprentice as well as the key details of the training (vocational profession, period). This is followed by a description of the tasks performed and the skills acquired. In a qualified certificate, an evaluation of work performance (expertise, commitment, work results) and social behavior (teamwork, reliability) follows.
Positive Wording
The certificate must be worded positively to ensure that it does not hinder the career advancement of the apprentice. This means that negative aspects are usually expressed through indirect, positively sounding phrases. There is a specific language for certificates that employers understand to express hidden criticism.
Language of Certificates
The language of certificates uses fixed expressions to obscure evaluations. For example, the phrase “to our fullest satisfaction” indicates very good performance, while “always striving” points to rather inadequate performance. These formulations must be legally permissible and not misleading.
Formal Requirements
A Certificate of Vocational Training (Ausbildungszeugnis) must be written and in German. It must be printed on official letterhead of the training company and signed by the employer or an authorized representative. Electronic or verbal certificates are not permitted.
Right to Correction
If the apprentice disagrees with the certificate, they can request a correction. This may involve content-related or formal errors that could affect their career progression. In case of disputes, the apprentice may take legal action against the training company.