Ella Howard

Time btwn apprentice contract and OTJ starting

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Hi. How long can an apprentice be employed under an apprenticeship contract before without starting their OTJ practical training period. E.g. if an employer wants to employ someone in January to start apprenticeship training with us as the provider in March, would it be acceptable for them to join on an apprenticeship contract/wage and have 6 weeks induction/without OTJ. The funding rules say a short period - e.g. 2-3 weeks, but this sounds like a guide rather than a hard and fast rule. Should the employer start them on unqualified wage rate then drop them down to apprentice rate (seems unfair) when they start the practical period? Or should the employer provide OTJ learning opportunities for the first 8 weeks until they start the training with us as the provider?

Thanks

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Martin West

The guidance from the funding rules is:

P30.4.2 In the case of an individual who is recruited specifically into a business as an apprentice, the practical period start date may be slightly later than the apprenticeship start date. This is so the individual can begin their job role first (the apprenticeship start date) and then begin their training (the practical period start date). These dates would usually be no more than 2-3 weeks apart.