Off-The-Job Training
What is off-the-job training?
Off-the-job training is defined as learning which is undertaken outside of day-to-day work duties and leads towards the achievement of the apprenticeship. This training takes place within the apprentice’s normal (contracted) working hours and is a mandatory element of the apprenticeship.
Time Commitment
This time is pro rata and all apprentices will have a total number of off-the-job training hours to achieve as part of their apprenticeship.
Off-the-job training can vary from block release to a day a week and many more variations, the schedule will be agreed by the employer and training provider.
Off-the-job training is a fundamental and mandatory element of the apprenticeship, apprentices are unable to complete their programme if their minimum off-the-job training hours have not been met.
What counts as off-the-job training
- 1 - Off-the-job training for full-time workers requires a minimum of 6 hours per week (paid hours excluding overtime) over the planned duration of the apprenticeship, based on a minimum of 30 hours of work per week. For part-time workers, off-the-job training must make up at least 20% of their working hours.
- 2 - Off-the-job training can be delivered at the workplace or at an external location, offering flexible learning environments.
- 3 - Regular progress reviews and on-programme assessments are conducted, but do not count as off-the-job training.
Examples of off-the-job training, depending on your apprenticeship standard, may be:
Learning a new system or process
Shadowing or mentoring a colleague
Completing a research task
Studying for a qualification
Completing continuous professional development
Participating in Webinars/Seminars
Apprentices
As an apprentice you are not expected to complete apprenticeship studies outside of your normal working hours. As part of your apprenticeship, you must receive a minimum of 6 hours off-the-job training per week if you are a full-time apprentice (working at least 30 hours per week) and 20% of your hours if you are a part-time apprentice (working less than 30 hours per week).
Off-the-job training can vary from a few hours each day to a day a week and many more variations. The hours are pro rata so some weeks you may complete less than 6 hours and some weeks more than 6 hours, as long as on average you are staying on track with your minimum off the job training hours.
It will be your employer’s responsibility to ensure you are scheduled the time for your off-the-job training but as the apprentice, it will be your responsibility to log each of these activities. This is completed within our E-portfolio system.
Employers
As an employer, you must ensure that apprentices scheduled their off-the-job training time. This time should be protected, and the apprentice should ideally be given more if required.
Along with scheduling off-the-job training time, you will also need to work with the apprentice and training provider to put in place relevant activities which contribute to off-the-job training. Apprentices should have access to training wider than just their job role.
It is important to ensure all line managers and mentors are aware of off-the-job training and the employer’s commitment within this. This helps colleagues protect and recognise why an apprentice is away from their normal working duties.
Line managers will be able to monitor a learners off-the-job training progress within our E-Portfolio system to ensure the apprentice is logging their hours and keeping on track.
An Apprentice is unable to achieve their apprenticeship if their off-the-job training hours have not been met.