Off-the-job training
Learn more about Off-the-Job Training in your Apprenticeship to develop key knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). It is a statutory requirement to undertake during your normal working hours.
What is off-the-job training?
Off-the-job training is a statutory requirement of your apprenticeship. It is training you undertake, during your normal working hours, for the purpose of achieving the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) of your apprenticeship.
Off-the-job training must make up part of your normal paid working hours over the duration of the training period of your apprenticeship and can be delivered in your normal place of work or at an external location e.g. university. If your off-the-job training is outside normal working hours, you must be paid or given time off in lieu.
The amount of off-the-job training each learner requires depends on the apprenticeship start date. Refer to the table below to see how much you need to do.
Minimum amount of off-the-job training based on contracted hours per week (pw)
| Apprenticeship start date | Full-time (30+ hours pw) | Part-time (16-29 hours pw) |
|---|---|---|
| September 2022 onwards | Six hours pw | 20% |
| Pre-September 2022 | 20% | 20% |
What counts as off-the-job training?
It is training which is received by you within your practical period, during your normal working hours, for the purpose of achieving the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the apprenticeship you are undertaking. By normal working hours we mean the hours for which you would normally be paid, excluding overtime.
Below are some examples of off-the-job training:
- the teaching of theory (e.g. lectures, role playing, simulation exercises, online learning and manufacturer training);
- practical training (e.g. shadowing, mentoring, industry visits and participation in competitions);
- learning support;
- time spent writing assignments; and
- revision (where this is specifically required for achievement of the apprenticeship).
What does not count as off-the-job training?
Off-the-job training does not include:
- initial assessment and onboarding activities;
- English and maths training (where this is required, this must be delivered in addition to the minimum off-the-job training requirement);
- training to acquire knowledge, skills and behaviours that are not required by the apprenticeship standard;
- progress reviews;
- examinations and other testing (e.g. on-programme assessments linked to a qualification, mock EPA testing); and
- training which takes place outside the apprentice’s normal working hours;
- if off-the-job training must, by exception, take place outside of these hours, the apprentice must agree and be compensated for this arrangement (e.g. time off in lieu or an additional payment). The majority of the training must not be delivered in this way.
Calculating your off-the-job training
The University will calculate the total off-the-job training hours required for you based on your paid hours over the duration of the training period of the apprenticeship. Your statutory annual leave entitlement and EPA period will be deducted in this calculation. The off-the-job training total will be recorded in your:
- Apprenticeship Agreement
- Training Plan (previously called Commitment Statement)
You will receive and be required to sign both documents prior to commencing your apprenticeship.
Your responsibilities in off-the-job training
Logging off-the-job training is your responsibility and you are required to update your off-the-job training log at least monthly. It is a Gateway condition that you have accessed and logged at least the total off-the-job training hours listed in your Apprenticeship Agreement and Training Plan. If this cannot be evidenced, you will not be able to complete the EPA, and this can result in a delay to you completing your apprenticeship.
Use your apprenticeship PebblePad workbook to log off-the-job training hours. When logging your off-the-job activity you should include:
- What – a brief description of the training you did and where (e.g. attended a lecture on professional development at NTU (Nottingham Trent University), researched information systems…)
- Reflection – What did you learn? Which KSBs were related to the learning?
- When – provide a time and date for the training.
- Duration – how many hours did you spend doing the training.
There are templates you can use in PebblePad to do this or alternatively, you can create your own monthly log in another format (MS Word, Excel or similar) and upload to your PebblePad off-the-job training log.
We recognise that studying alongside paid employment can be difficult and this may impact your off-the-job training from time to time. If you are experiencing any difficulties fulfilling your off-the-job training for any reason, you should contact your Employer Mentor, Line Manager or Workplace Tutor.