The Learnership Portfolio of Evidence (POE) Structure. How to create a brilliant POE. A portfolio of evidence (POE) is used to bundle work generated by the learner. If you lack evidence, use this guide to add reflective statements to boost your assessment portfolio.
A Brilliant Learnership Portfolio of Evidence for Assessment
A learnership or apprenticeship assessment typically involves a combination of on-the-job training and formal assessments to evaluate the competency of the learner.
A learnership portfolio of evidence (POE) is used to bundle work generated by the learner that meets and exceeds the qualification’s assessment criteria requirements. This POE helps learners justify why they have earned the qualification. Learners should begin creating, collecting and organising these documents from the first day.
The Learnership Portfolio of Evidence assessment process typically includes the following steps:
- On-the-Job Training: The learner works with a mentor or supervisor and receives hands-on training in a real-world setting.
- Formal Assessments: The learner is evaluated through a series of written, practical, and oral exams to assess their knowledge and skills.
- Performance Reviews: The learner’s performance is reviewed regularly by their mentor or supervisor to identify areas for improvement.
- Final Assessment: A final assessment is conducted at the end of the learnership or apprenticeship to evaluate the learner’s overall competency.
The assessment process is designed to ensure that you, the learner, have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to perform your job effectively. The results of the assessment determine whether you have successfully completed the program and are ready to enter the workforce.
Use these Tips to Structure Your Learnership Portfolio of Evidence
Your POE justifies why you have earned the qualification. Learners should begin creating, collecting and organising these documents from the first day.
Portfolios of evidence are already familiar to most learners in South Africa from high school to learnerships and apprenticeships. A Learner Portfolio of Evidence for a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) qualification assessment is typically structured to include the following elements:
- Personal details and registration information
- Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
- Evidence of learning: This includes documents, observations, assignments, projects, case studies, and testimonials that demonstrate the learner’s competence in each learning outcome.
- Reflective statements: This is where the learner reflects on their learning process and how the evidence supports their competence in each learning outcome.
- Assessment decisions: This section includes the assessor’s assessment decisions for each learning outcome, indicating whether the learner is competent or not.
- Feedback and appeals: This section provides information on how the learner can provide feedback or appeal the assessment decisions if they are not satisfied.
The structure of the Learner Portfolio of Evidence may vary between different NQF qualifications, but the elements mentioned above are commonly found in most portfolios.
How to Write Reflective Statements For the Learnership Portfolio of Evidence
Reflective statements are written to express your thoughts, feelings, and learning from a personal experience or event. To write a reflective statement, follow these steps:
- Choose an experience or event to reflect on.
- Describe the experience or event and your initial thoughts and feelings.
- Analyze the experience or event to understand what happened and why.
- Evaluate the experience and identify what you learned, how it affected you, and how it may be useful in the future.
- Write a conclusion summarizing your reflections.
It’s important to be honest, introspective, and critical in your reflection. Writing in a clear, concise, and structured manner can also help you effectively communicate your thoughts and insights.
A learnership or apprenticeship assessment is a process used to evaluate the skills, knowledge, and competencies of individuals participating in a learnership or apprenticeship program.
Here’s how Learnership Portfolio of Evidence assessment works:
- Assessment criteria: The assessment criteria are established based on the specific goals and outcomes of the learnership or apprenticeship program. These criteria define what the learner must be able to do to be deemed competent.
- Assessment tasks: The assessment tasks are designed to provide evidence of the learner’s abilities and are aligned with the assessment criteria. These tasks may include practical tasks, written assignments, projects, or exams.
- Assessment process: The assessment process may involve a combination of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are ongoing evaluations that help the learner track their progress and improve their skills. Summative assessments are final evaluations that determine if the learner has met the assessment criteria.
- Assessment outcomes: Based on the assessment process, the learner is either deemed competent or not competent. If the learner is deemed competent, they receive a certificate or credential indicating their achievement. If the learner is not competent, they may be provided with additional training or support to improve their skills.
In summary, a learnership assessment is designed to measure your progress and evaluate your ability to perform tasks related to the program. The assessment process helps to ensure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your chosen field.
The Rules of Evidence for a Successful POE
Different Types of POE Assessment Evidence
Organise, plan and create evidence from the beginning of the programme. Learners should start by reviewing the specific outcomes and initiate their own evidence to meet the related assessment criteria.
Learners must ensure they know the SAQA qualification ID for their learnership so they can determine precisely what their options are.
SAQA’s three main types of evidence
| DIRECT EVIDENCE | INDIRECT EVIDENCE | HISTORICAL EVIDENCE |
| Actual evidence produced by candidates. Considered the most valid and authentic evidence and should be the primary source of evidence. | This is evidence produced about the candidate by a third party, other than the assessor. It can be used to verify the authenticity of other forms of evidence. Witnesses must understand the standards required and be able to comment authoritatively on the candidate’s performance. | This is evidence of what the candidate was capable of doing in the past. This will be checked for authenticity and supplemented by an assessment of current competence. |
| Examples Workbooks. Direct observation of tasks and activities. Oral or written answers to questions. Evaluation of products or output | Examples Testimony from colleagues and supervisors. Work completed previously. Training records. Customer ratings | Examples of Testimony from colleagues and supervisors. Work completed previously. Training records. Customer ratings |
These are the questions Assessors ask when assessing A POE
“Is POE Evidence Valid?”
- Does it relate to the specific outcomes and assessment criteria?
- Will the form of evidence allow accurate judgement to be made of the candidate’s level of competence?
- Is it well presented and explained?
“Is POE Evidence Sufficient?”
- Does enough evidence exist to make an accurate judgement about the candidate’s performance?
- Can the evidence show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the required standards have been achieved?
- Does the evidence indicate that the candidate really possesses the competencies?
“Is POE Evidence Authentic?”
- Is the evidence the candidate’s own work?
- Was it achieved by the candidate alone? (If not, the candidate’s contribution must be clearly described.)
- Did the candidate really produce the evidence?
“Is POE Evidence current?”
- Does the evidence reflect current competence?
- Is the evidence generated from the past 2 years or less?
Reference: Department of Education: Develop a portfolio to demonstrate school leadership and management competence A module of the Advanced Certificate: Education (School Management and Leadership).
