OTJ planned/actual hours

The ESFA have allowed for this (see funding rules section Off-the-job training from page’s 15-16)

Where the Planned hours agreed at the beginning of the programme are less than actual hours delivered you must produce a statement to summarise the reasons for the difference and confirm that that the OTJ hours delivered were at least 20% of the apprentice’s working hours over the actual time on programme.

HTH

Yes, that's the key point to keep on top of where you're planning over 20% (which, frankly, everyone should be doing!).

It's likely there will be audit focus on this over the next couple of years, so getting your ducks in a row from the start is the key here.

Has anyone seen ESFA confirmation that providing evidence of at least 20% OTJ is actually a Gateway requirement, in the same way as needing to have achieved Functional Skills? If an apprentice hasn't achieved 20% OTJ, would it actually prevent them from progressing from Gateway to EPA? 

Thanks, Neil 

It does not include OTJ training in the following but if they have not completed 20% over the actual duration of training it is an invalid Apprenticeship and all funds liable for recovery.

Gateway requirements

These are requirements set out in the assessment plan that must be met by the apprentice prior to undertaking end-point assessment of the apprenticeship standard. They will include the completion of English and maths qualifications (where applicable) and any on-programme mandatory qualifications (where applicable) along with satisfactory evidence (as determined by the employer, in consultation with the main provider) that the apprentice has achieved the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the standard.

That's fine, thanks Martin. What I'm not totally sure of is at what point does the Training Provider have to confirm that the OTJ requirement has been validated and the 20% threshold has been achieved? Is that part of the Gateway meeting?

The 20% OTJ training requirement should be reived at tripartite reviews prior to and at the final gateway meeting although it is not a barrier to undertaking the EPA (as it is not a requirement for unfunded Apprentices).

From the Apprenticeship off-the-job training guide Version 3

41           “If the individual can pass the end-point assessment, without undertaking 20% off-the-job training, can they still be an apprentice?”

No, if the apprentice can satisfy the requirements of an end-point assessment, without the minimum required training, then this would indicate that they were not eligible for the apprenticeship programme in the first place. It is likely that they did not require significant new skills and the individual’s prior learning had not been taken into account.

The question above is not well worded as It should say ‘can they still be an ESFA funded Apprentice’.

As I said previously if you are unable to evidence the minimum 20% OTJT over the actual duration of training then you should record then as an unfunded in the ILR as they were not eligible for funding.

Hi,

Can anyone please advise on the below scenario?

Learner had an agreed number of OTJT hours of 500 during the planned duration of their apprenticeship.

College training was delayed due to Covid, which meant the learner went over their planned end date.

Learner has 538 hours recorded on their OTJ log which means they have met the planned hours, but achieved a year after their planned end date. Would a summary statement be required in this instance?

In addition to this, due to the College training being delayed the apprentice did not hit the minimum of 20% OTJ hours during their planned duration, will this be an issue? Note the learner was not placed on a break in learning.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

They hit the minimum of 20% OTJ hours during their planned duration as 500 hrs were planned and 538 hrs delivered and you do not need a summary statement.

Hi Martin, thanks for your quick reply.

So for example in this case the learner only completed 300 hours between their start date and planned end date, meaning the min 20% wasn't met. The hours were caught up after the planned end date so this would be ok?

By definition is the planned duration the period between the apprenticeship start date and the planned end date?

Thanks for your help.

Yes it is up to the planned end date (as originally recorded on the ILR and commitment statement) not the actual end date.