Off-The-Job Training for Electrical Employers

Off-the-job training is a statutory requirement for an English apprenticeship (DfE funding rules 2026 to 2027, rule 82). For starts from 1 August 2025 the minimum is the number of hours published on the front of the standard: 1,066 for Installation and Maintenance Electrician (ST0152), never below 187 (rules 85 to 86). It must happen in the apprentice’s normal paid working hours (rule 82.1). You agree to release them for it in the apprenticeship agreement and training plan; if the policy is not met, funds are at risk of recovery from the provider (rule 82.4). Apprenticeships that started before August 2025 keep the old rule: 20% of normal working hours capped at 30 a week.

Spread the standard’s total across the planned duration: 1,066 hours over a typical four-year ST0152 programme is roughly 6 hours a week once holidays are taken out. Most employers structure this as: 1 day per week at college (year 1-3), additional supervised on-site learning of new skills, scheduled CPD events. Build OTJ into your apprentice’s timetable from day one. Don’t leave it as "we’ll fit it in when we can" — that’s how apprentices end up short at year-end.

College attendance (full days credited). Supervised learning of new skills on site — your senior electrician explicitly mentoring the apprentice on a new technique. CPD events. Manufacturer training (Hager, Schneider, NICEIC sessions). Online courses (scheme-led, technical). Time with the apprentice reviewing their NVQ portfolio. Reading technical material in supervised time. Bench / simulation practice in your workshop.

Routine productive work the apprentice can already do. Lunch breaks. Travel time. Statutory holidays. Sick days. Time fixing the apprentice’s own mistakes. Time at college that’s not formal training (lunch breaks at college also don’t count). Be conservative — over-claiming creates audit risk.

The training provider is responsible for evidencing all off-the-job training, even where you deliver some of it (DfE funding rules 2026 to 2027, rule 91). The DfE can audit the provider’s records, which typically means: the apprentice’s OTJ log, your contemporaneous training records, college attendance, and evidence of supervised learning (signed mentor notes). If the evidence is not there, funds are at risk of recovery from the provider (rule 82.4), and your provider will expect you to help put it right.

The Elec-Mate Employer tier auto-tracks OTJ hours across your apprentice team. Each apprentice logs activities on their phone; the employer dashboard aggregates and shows you exactly where each one is against their standard’s OTJ total. Generates audit-ready reports in PDF. Integrates with the apprentice’s NVQ portfolio. 7-day free trial — see how much simpler OTJ tracking is when it’s on autopilot.

Elec-Mate is built for UK electrical apprentices, qualified electricians, and business owners. Unit revision, AM2 mocks, OJT tracking, quoting, certification — all in one place. 7-day free trial.