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How does that conflict? You can do the OTJ when you like within the practical period.
Start and end dates always represent first and last days in learning, and learning for an apprenticeship would always be logged as OTJ. The slight distinction from classroom based, is that exams can count as hours/learning for classroom.
They don't mean you can front load the OTJ to the extent that it's all done well before you hit gateway. If you've stopped doing OTJ, you've hit gateway and that's the actual end date. Like in a race, the clock starts as soon as you cross the start line (do the first OTJ), and stops as soon as you cross the finish line (does the last bit of OTJ). You might start quickly and finish slow, or vice versa, or go steadily throughout, but you can't cross the finish line then wait a while until you stop the clock (record the actual end date).
UPDATE! The ESFA have noticed the conflict on this that I identified (or read my original post!) and removed the need for the OTJ Training to be aligned with the start and end of the Practical period in the final V1 of the App Funding rules.(refer to Para 52. 52.1 and 52.2 have been removed)
That makes no sense to me at all. When we've been audited for Apprenticeships, they want to see evidence of learning on the start and actual end dates. If it's learning, it must be OTJ, so how would you ever have a scenario where the start and end dates of the practical period, didn't match the first and last days of OTJ? Did ESFA explain how that ever might be the case?
Hi Ruth
To my mind, the start and end dates of the practical may very often not involve Off the Job; it may be general guidance on the standards and discussion on how the Apprentice will achieve it, it may be ON the job instruction, training or practicing of the Skills and Behaviours and/or assessment of the same (particularly at the tail end of the Apprenticeship. It may be English and/or Maths which do not count towards the OTJ minimum. The programme doesn't/shouldn't have to be OTJ or nothing. The reason this specific conflict arose was because the ESFA were saying you had to tie it into the start and end dates, yet were also saying that you could front load the OTJ, which may well have met the minimum but finished some way ahead of the practical period end date. I do think worry that where the OTJ emphasis has become so great, some of the other characteristics of an Apprenticeship may become marginalised over time. Bring back the D32,D33...and especially the D36, I say! :)
Benjamin Cowdery
Is it me?!
Edited
....or do these two Para's in the Clarification Rule for Apps potentially conflict?
P44 It is up to you and the employer to decide where and when the off-the-job training is delivered. P44.1 It can include training that is delivered at the apprentice’s normal place of work. P44.2 It can be spread evenly over the duration of the apprenticeship (e.g. regular day release) or it can include block release (e.g. front loaded training) and special training days / workshops
Versus:
P52.1 The start date of the practical period should equate to the first day of off-the-job training. P52.2 The end date of the practical period should equate with the last day of off-the-job training (note that mock testing, assessments and exams do not count as off-the-job training