The rule that 20 per cent of contracted hours during an apprenticeship need to be spent on off-the-job training should be reviewed as soon as possible, employers have told the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP).
According to a report sponsored by City & Guilds Group and published by AELP today, the application of this rule to apprenticeships in all sectors and at all levels is “unhelpful”. Apprenticeship employers and practitioners told AELP there was no “magic formula” for splitting the time for training on- and off-the-job in order to deliver a successful apprenticeship, and it was the combination of those two elements that defined success.
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Development time
According to the research, practitioners are calling for off-the-job training (OTJT) to be renamed as “apprenticeship development time” to help end the ambiguity and confusion that the current 20 per cent rule has caused. AELP says the rule has been regularly cited in surveys as the biggest barrier to more employers engaging in the apprenticeship programme.
The research concludes that the off-the-job rule appears to be a regulatory device aimed at eliminating instances of poor practice where no or very minimal time is spent away from productive work tasks. It adds that, according to the practitioners in the survey, high quality on the job training is much more significant within an apprenticeship.
AELP chief executive Mark Dawe said: “To gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours required in each standard, the on-the-job training is as important, if not more so, than off-the-job. In fact, the blend of the two is the most important factor. The appropriate proportions will vary by sector, standard, level and setting and there should be flexibility in approach. This is something that Ofsted has said from day one and is further supported by this research.”
Patrick Craven, executive director for strategic partnerships, policy and contracts at City & Guilds, said: “It is right that careful attention should be given to the monitoring and prevention of poor provision and that is something that all involved in the process support.
“This does not mean however that we should ignore the unintended consequences of simplistic measures that aim to ensure compliance and regulation rather than developing the quality experience and outcomes that apprenticeships offer. This is an informed critique from communities that wish to improve and refine our apprenticeship programmes to make them the best they can be, and perhaps the envy of the many countries that we are so often compared to.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “A minimum 20 per cent off-the-job training is a fundamental requirement of the apprenticeship - it’s in line with international best practice of at least a day in college and allows more flexibility for employers.”
