Off-the-job (OTJ) training

What is off-the-job training?

During an apprenticeship, you’ll spend some of your working days doing off-the-job training (sometimes called OTJ). You’ll do your off-the-job training during your working hours, not in your own time.

The aim of your training is to help you gain and apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) you need to be competent in your job. 

Training can include:  

• lectures or classes at a college, university or training centre  
• doing online courses  
• studying by yourself  
• working with a workplace mentor  
• time spent writing assignments or doing projects 

You’ll have to complete a certain number of hours of training over the length of your apprenticeship. How many depends on the apprenticeship you’re doing - you can find this by searching for your course on Skills England’s apprenticeship finder, selecting it, then looking at ‘minimum hours for compliance’. For example, you may have to do 590 hours over 2 years - that's about 6 hours a week.

Who organises my training? 

When you begin your apprenticeship, you, your training provider and your employer will agree a plan for you to do your training. Your training plan will have a schedule including: 

• which KSBs you need to gain for your apprenticeship and when 
• how many hours of training you need to complete before you can be assessed
• how your training will be delivered (for example, you may do your off-the-job training for 2 hours a day, 1 full day a week or 1 week every couple of months)
• any parts of the training that you do not need to do, because you’ve already done it (also known as prior learning) 
• progress reviews with your employer and training provider 

Where do I do training?  

Your training can take place in different locations, including your:  

• college  
• university  
• work  
• training provider’s premises 

What counts as training?

Only training that helps you learn the new KSBs you need for your apprenticeship is considered off-the-job training.

What counts?  

These are considered off-the-job training:

• day or block release for college, university or online lectures and tutorials  
• practical training, for example shadowing, mentoring and industry visits, study leave, or time spent learning new knowledge for an exam or assignment 
• continuing professional development activity 
• work-based learning, for example if you learn new knowledge or skills during work  
• training courses 
• apprentice events

What does not count?

These do not count towards your off-the-job training:

• progress reviews with your training provider  
• training that helps you gain knowledge or skills that aren’t required for your apprenticeship  
• exams or on-programme assessments (preparation for exams or assessments does count though)  
• preparing for functional skills English and maths (if applicable)  
• day-to-day tasks related to your role  
• team meetings  
• travel time to and from college or university 

How do I record my training?

Recording off-the-job training can vary based on your industry or training provider. 

Your Apprenticeship app can help you plan and record your training, or your training provider may have a system for you to record training in.

Capture key information from each training session

Record dates, times, locations, and details of every training session you have. This will help you stay organised and provide accurate information when needed. You could provide:  

• date and time of the session  
• name of the training provider or organisation  
• description of the topics or KSBs covered  
• any assessments or tasks completed 
• any attendance records (like sign in sheets)

Save notes in a journal or portfolio

Start gathering evidence of what you’ve learnt as soon as you start your apprenticeship. Keeping a journal means you can jot down your thoughts, reflections, and insights from each training session. You should explain how you have applied your training in your KSBs to your job. 

Record notes and feedback from your progress reviews

Go over your notes. Are you meeting your learning goals? Could you do something differently to improve your learning experience? Remember to ask your trainers for feedback on your progress. You can gain valuable insights into your strengths, and where you could improve. 

Worried about your training? 

Your training should be high quality, help you in your job, and improve your confidence. You should speak to your employer or training provider if you: 

• do not have enough time for training  
• feel like you’re not learning enough 
• are working extra hours outside of work 

If you still have concerns after talking to them, we can help you. You can complain about a further education college or apprenticeship.