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Abstract Background The debate around the regulation of learning has recently penetrated the domain of collaborative learning, introducing a social dimension to what was earlier seen, essentially, as a personal initiative. The present study aims at understanding the development of co-regulation episodes in the specific context of vocational education and training (VET), an under investigated domain. Methods This study involves 22 apprentice chefs who were asked to work in small groups on various learning activities related to their professional learning. Each group was videotaped while performing the activities; videos were then coded and analysed, through the nVivo software, on the basis of a coding scheme focussing on regulation and interaction. More specifically, we analysed the nature of the content discussed within the groups, the socio-regulatory processes and the types of interaction observed. Results Results showed that inquiries formulated as ‘how’ questions, efforts to give others explanations, as well as attempts to monitor the group’s work found in high-level content co-regulation episodes significantly more often than in the other types of episodes. None of the indicators of positive or negative socio-emotional interactions could be linked to the quality of group regulation, neither in terms of level of content nor with respected to the socio-regulatory processes engaged in. Conclusions Possible explanations for the results are provided in line with the specificity of the context in which this study was run (initial VET). Implications for further research on these issues are discussed.