3. At the end or after the internship
3.1 Assessment Conversation
What?
It is a conversation between you and the trainees in order to evaluate their performance during the internship period.
Why?
It provides an opinion concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the trainees with a view to their further training.
The result may be that the sending/receiving partner will give other directions to future internship projects
How?
Preparation of the assessment conversation
You inform the trainees concerning this conversation (When? What? How?).
Both you and the trainees prepare the evaluation points on the basis of previous evaluation conversations or feedback.
You indicate for each of the tasks what was the quality of the work done, the results they achieved.
You take into account the initial situation of the trainees.
You note bottleneck points/problems, e.g. when you think something has been a bit problematic or difficult for the trainees.
You note which additional tasks the trainees had to do that were not in the original description.
Description of the assessment conversation
You start the conversation: explain goals and working methods again.
You possibly evaluate the marks using an assessment form.
You give sufficient time to speak about every point, listen, ask questions, summarise.
You ensure that you can motivate your answer each time with examples.
You evaluate the reached level per item by comparing scores with the initial expectations.
You make an overall evaluation.
You express expectations for the continuation of the internship or for the next training period.
Be objective; don’t be influenced by prejudices, sympathy or antipathy. At this stage the internship supervisor also needs to fill in some official documents, e.g. Europass Mobility or an Internship Logbook.
3.2 Evaluation of the Internship Process
What?
You map out, possibly with colleagues, the trainees and the internship tutor, what (competences) they learned during the training period, and what the possible improvements in the internship process are.
You judge the quality, evaluate whether the internship was worth doing (if there was any added value) and write a report.
Why?
It helps supervisors and coordinators in adjusting and improving or transforming the organisation of the next internship.
Especially with a written report, it can be a reference to plan the next internship project better.
It is also a stimulating step in the learning process when the trainees are involved: this way he sees the full importance of the internship period.
How?
Possible items for evaluation are:
Was the matching of the candidate and the workplace OK?
What remarks did the trainees give on their assessment?
Did the internship stimulate the trainees to moments of independent learning and/or training?
Training: are adjustments necessary in function of a better connection between the industrial sector and training (technical college, training centre) and/or education in their own region?
The practical organisation of the internship: did anything go wrong?
The role of the supervisor: did he meet the expectations of the sending/receiving organisation?
The timing of the internship: when is the best period?
The planning of the internship within the learning pathway of the candidate.
Questions with regard to the aim of the internship activities: focus on key competences (e.g. other rhythm, more stress, social skills), focus on learning to know new equipment or train known techniques.
Looking for new internship work places for acquiring and/or learning specific basic competences, a module, an entire training; optimise a network of internship providers.
- Points of attention: What have we learned? - What can be done better next time?
Find a balance between positive and negative, between strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats!