Off the job training

What is off the job (OTJ) training?

This is a statutory requirement set out in the apprentice funding rules for all apprentices, designed to help ap- prentices learn and reflect on their development. It typically includes the following activities:

OTJ relating to university study:

• Lectures
• Tutorials and seminars
• Writing assignments and projects
• Independent research   

OTJ facilitated by the workplace:

• In-house training/CPD
• Coaching or mentoring sessions
•  Work shadowing
•  Industry visits

What is the OTJ requirement?

All apprentices need to spend at least an equivalent of 6 hours per week in OTJ training activities, which equates to 278 hours per year. OTJ must take place during contracted working hours and we would encourage employers to agree a higher number of hours so apprentices have sufficient time to successfully complete their studies.

We must also be able to illustrate this requirement over the duration of the degree apprenticeship and that learning takes place each month. To keep these records, we use the APTEM platform which is why we all need to engage with the APTEM software.

How does this OTJ requirement fit into the degree at Harper Adams?

We recommend that apprentices will need more than the minimum 278 hours to successfully complete the degree apprenticeship, and they will need time within their contracted hours but outside the University tuition blocks to work on assignments and prepare for assessments.

The minimum requirement is almost met by the taught sessions and online activity, assuming the apprentice commits 7.4 hours per allocated day to attending lectures and workshops, alongside taking advantage of independent study time to conduct research, write assignments and access support services. Time on campus and online learning activities vary each year:

97 hours equates to 13 days (assuming 7.4 hours per day).

We would recommend an additional 1-2 study hours per week during the academic year (31 weeks). Our recommendation is that 29 - 45 additional days across the 4 years of study are allocated as required. Each apprentices’ needs are different and some may require more or less time for study; this would need to be agreed between the apprentice and line manager. The assessment schedule is published at the beginning of the academic year, so it is possible to identify blocks of time (maybe half or whole days) around assessment submission dates well in advance to plan the learning activities into the diary of the apprentice.

In addition to study time, apprentices will be required to record any additional learning that takes place in the workplace, such as shadowing, in-house training that relates to the apprenticeship, industry visits etc. Apprentices are expected to record additional learning throughout the apprenticeship programme and ensure that at least 4 hours of learning are recorded each month.