SVEB certificates are issued by theSwiss Association for Adult Educationand certify that their holders have the ability to impart knowledge to individuals or groups and to conduct learning events or learning support.

The certificates are part of theAda construction kit. "AdA" stands for "training of trainers".

Since the SVEB revision 2023, there are zwei SVEB certificates:

• Instructor - Conducting learning events (the former SVEB 1 certificate course instructor)
• Trainer - individual supervision (the former SVEB 1 certificate for practical trainers)

Valid until 2023:

The SVEB 1 is a certificate in adult education as a trainer (formerly course instructor), which certifies that you have the necessary skills to plan and run an educational event for adults. With SVEB 2, the second level for trainers, you acquire the federal certificate.

Attention: Since the revision of the SVEB system in 2023, there are only the SVEB certificates "SVEB Trainer - Implementation of learning events" and "SVEB Trainer - Individual support" at level 1.

The SVEB digits1and SVEB2However, this means that the next level, "Trainer with federal certificate", is no longer an SVEB certificate, but is still part of the AdA modular system (AdA stands for "training of trainers") and is at level 2.

The education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch conducted a survey to clarify this question. According to the results of the survey, 57% of all those interested in training are still finding out whether the SVEB - Zertifikat Ausbilder / Ausbilderin (Zert.) (formerly SVEB - Zertifikat Kursleiter / Kursleiterin (Zert.)) course meets their own needs. 27 %, on the other hand, are interested in further training through recommendations. 16% of survey participants are interested in the SVEB certificate, as this is often required in job advertisements. In the experience of our training consultants, most people who are interested in this further training are those who want to take on a new role in adult education or are already doing so and would like to acquire the necessary basic knowledge. This impression is also confirmed by most of these comments when stating optional reasons for their interest in the SVEB course:

• Career change: "New job in the company", "I would like to be able to offer my knowledge of motivational interviewing as a self-employed person", "Better opportunities as a career changer", "Becoming a mother, would like to become self-employed", "Started as a vocational trainer", "Job in prospect", "New role in the company", "I would like to work as a language teacher", "I would like to work in adult education", "I would like to reorient myself professionally and work in adult education.", "I would like to develop in the direction of adult education.", "Because I have two mother tongues and would like to make use of this.", "I would like to offer training courses myself"
• Building up knowledge: "I accompany social pedagogues HF in training and would like to acquire the necessary basic knowledge for staff training", "Further training", "Course activities", "I already teach and would like to acquire more ideas and skills", "Further develop vocational training", "Advise interested parties", "I would like to prepare a course", "I always teach courses and would like to acquire more tools for this", "Broaden my horizons", "I am already a technical trainer and would like to continue my training".
• Confirmation of qualification: "The course is required by my employer, as agreed", "I have been promised a job opportunity if I can produce the certificate", "I need it for my role in the company", "Requirement", "Would like to teach and further training is a requirement", "I need the SVEB for my job", "I have been working in adult education as an English teacher for several years", "I get a lot of job offers that include SVEB as a requirement", "I am starting out as a lecturer", "I am a course instructor", "I need the course for my job", "I need the qualification", "I need it for my career"
• Good reputation of the qualification: "I could really use the qualification at the moment. I have heard that this further training will open many doors for me.", "I would like to better understand where I can work with this training. Which companies recognize this training and would hire me?"
• Interest in education and knowledge transfer: "I am very interested in education", "I would like to work in adult education to teach, lecture and pass on my knowledge", "I would like to pass on my previous experience as a coach", "I would like to do the training to be a BB in the company".

The education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch asked people interested in education about this and this is the result:

• 47% specifically requested schools with good online ratings
• 27% already knew the school at which they were interested in the SVEB certificate further training course
• 26% asked schools for a recommendation for the course instructor (new: trainer) course

Free-text responses to the education survey provide additional reasons for contacting schools:

• Location: "The school is close to me", "the location", "proximity to my home", "geographical proximity", "course location", "proximity to nature", "is in the region"
• Information and comparison: "I would like to find out all about the further education options and compare the offers.", "I had already registered at another school. Unfortunately, the course was not held and I don't want to wait until next summer to do the training.", "For comparison", "I have enquired about all the schools listed", "Purely informative", "Would like to understand the focus of the various schools and whether there are differences in the qualification/topics"
• Online research: "Online search result", "Coincidence", "By searching for a suitable school", "Search engine", "Found the school on the Internet", "Training and further education website", "Description / profile says yes", "To compare", "Google", "Offer check"
• Proof of qualification: "competent in the healthcare sector", "SVEB certified"
• Teaching formats: "online class", "ideal online format", "possibility of online teaching"
• Course times: "The earliest course is", "Duration and start of the course is right", "Evening school, Saturday school", "I find your course dates suitable", "Suitable start date, feasible in terms of time as the courses take place over 6 months and only one day a week".
• Interest: "I am interested in the training"
• Requirement in job advertisements: "Due to a job advertisement as a German teacher that interests me."
• Other: "coincidence", "school already known from previous training", "just like that", "others are fully booked", "availability", "good reputation"

The learning content for further training as an instructor (formerly SVEB 1 - course instructor) is not regulated in detail, but must be based on the guidelines, which stipulate the following content:

• Fundamentals of adult-specific learning and teaching
• Preliminary consideration Planning, didactic models, lesson planning
• Formulate goals
• Select contents
• Didactic transfer considerations
• Methods and social forms
• Use of media
• Customize learning materials
• Formulate work assignments
• Methods for evaluation and target consideration
• Communication basics
• Moderating learning group discussions
• Learning group diversity
• Group dynamics basics
• Disruptions and conflicts in learning groups
• Reflect on your own learning biography, your own understanding of learning and your role as a course leader

It is quite possible that some adult education schools will add further learning content to round off the overall concept of instructor (formerly course leader).

The duration of training to become a trainer (formerly course instructor) with SVEB certificate may vary depending on the provider.

The course comprises at least 90 hours of contact learning in classroom teaching or online. The certificate also requires 150 hours of practical experience, i.e. self-taught lessons or practical supervision, and 165 hours of self-study.

The duration is specified in the SVEB framework: The total of 405 hours can be completed in a minimum of 4 months to a maximum of 3 years. Most schools offer courses with a duration of 1-2 semesters.

The assessment standard is used for the SVEB certificate examination for trainers (former course instructors), taking into account the following aspects:

• Social competence:
  • Group perception
  • Management and moderation
• Personal competence:
  • Appearance, impact, charisma
  • Linguistic expression
• Didactic and methodical approach:
  • Formulation of learning objectives
  • Content delivery, role design in teaching and moderating
  • Selection of material, methods and media appropriate to the target group, use of visualization forms
  • Adhere to the time frame
• Ability to reflect (documentation, self-evaluation):
  • Planning and preliminary considerations
  • Self-assessment, interpretation of feedback, drawing conclusions

In any case, you need enoughProfessional competence and experience in your own field!

WithTeaching/training experienceit looks like this:

To obtain the SVEB certificate "Instructor - conducting learning events" (formerly: SVEB 1 course instructor) or the SVEB certificate "Instructor - individual support" (formerly SVEB 1 practical instructor), you must have at least two years of practical experience in adult education and at least 150 hours of teaching experience in addition to the required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence.

In the case of "Instructor - conducting learning events", a maximum of one third of these 150 hours may have been in the form of individual or two-person instruction; in the case of "Instructor - individual supervision", a maximum of one third of the practical experience may have been with three or more people.

According to former graduates of the SVEB trainer training course (formerly SVEB course instructor training), the following can be achieved:

• work in adult education, mostly part-time
• work as a course instructor at adult education schools, including eduQua-certified continuing education institutions
• Employees in training and HR departments
• Design and implementation of teaching units
• Conduct good learning events with adults
• be able to demonstrate sound methodological and didactic skills
• have the necessary social skills
• have a nationally recognized SVEB certificate