Why Apprentices should log their 20% off-the-job hours

Have you ever considered why it is essential for Apprentices to log their 20% off-the-job training hours? 

Maybe Apprentices think it is not essential and it is just another task that needs to be completed?

This is a rhetorical question since they will have to find time to do it anyway. 

How great is it for Apprentices to reflect on the new skills they have learnt whilst logging off-the-job hours?

Employers have granted this time for Apprentices to learn new skills and behaviours associated with their job role. Why run the risk of failing a course by not taking the time to log all the hours of hard work put into Apprenticeship training?

This time taken away from an Apprentice’s day job is designed to set them up to achieve gateway and final end-point assessment. They need not be physically away from work; the hours only need to be separate from their everyday role. 

Being meticulous about logging these hours is essential to completing and thriving in an apprenticeship and achieving the goal of becoming qualified. It is good practice for Apprentices to complete a training log to remember all the valuable things they learn on their journey. A tutor can then review this to establish whether an Apprentice has any gaps in their knowledge and skills, and any shortfalls can be addressed. 

A tutor should share the types of activities that count towards Apprentices 20% off-the-job hours. 

A few of these can include: 

• Researching and writing assignments
• Revising for an end of point assessment (EPA)
• Attending online training sessions 

Apprentices can also develop a reflective log that gives them some private time to write down their thoughts about their new knowledge and skills and how they will put these into practice. 

Apprentices can also break down the overall number of hours needed into a monthly target to add these up as they progress through their course. This way, Apprentices will be able to see if they are achieving the target they set. As a minimum, 20% off-the-job is needed to achieve overall success at the EPA for an Apprentice and using a log to track progress is an excellent discipline to adopt. 

Employers invest time, money, and resource to enable Apprentices to progress in their career. Apprentices recording the off-job hours they have utilised to study can track their progress and work towards their EPA, knowing that they have everything covered to prove they are occupationally competent in their chosen career. 

Apprentices who take the time to record their 20% off the job hours can reflect on the steps they took to succeed on their course and take pride in their new knowledge and skills.