This guide provides the standardised procedure for Apprentices to record Off-the-Job (OTJ) Training hours within The Platform. Maintaining an accurate, real-time log is a mandatory requirement to ensure compliance with Department for Education (DfE) standards and to maintain Apprentice eligibility for Gateway.
Prerequisites for Logging OTJ
Before attempting to log hours, The Apprentice must verify the following:
Platform Access: The Apprentice must log into The Platform at
Active Status: The 'Off the Job' tab in the left-hand navigation menu becomes active only after the official Flying Start date.
Timing: OTJ Training entries cannot be recorded for any dates occurring prior to the Flying Start milestone.
Step-by-Step Logging Instructions
1. Access the OTJ Tracker
The Apprentice should navigate to the 'Off the Job' tab. This dashboard displays current progress toward the OTJ Training target and houses the logging interface.
2. Define the Activity Scope
The Apprentice must determine if the learning activity occurred on a single day or across multiple dates.
Single Day Entry: Enter the specific date of the activity.
Multiple Days Entry: Toggle the 'Multiple Days' switch. The Apprentice may then select any combination of dates from the calendar. These dates do not need to be consecutive.
3. Enter Activity Details
For every OTJ Training submission, The Apprentice must provide the following data points:
Activity Description: A clear summary of the learning achieved and its relationship to the apprenticeship KSBs (Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours).
Category Selection: The most accurate OTJ Category (e.g., Applied Learning, Coach Session, or Self-Study) selected from the dropdown menu.
Duration:
For Single Day entries: Record the exact hours and minutes spent.
For Multiple Days entries: The Apprentice can either apply the same duration to all selected dates or input different durations for each specific date.
4. Final Submission and Validation
Upon clicking 'Submit', The Platform generates an individual entry for every date selected. The Apprentice should submit log entries immediately following the completion of an activity to ensure The Coach and the Employer have visibility into real-time progress.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question | Answer |
Question: When should The Apprentice log OTJ hours? | Answer: The Apprentice should log hours as soon as an activity is completed. Immediate logging prevents retrospective errors and ensures the progress dashboard remains accurate for The Coach. |
Question: Why is the 'Off the Job' tab missing from the navigation menu? | Answer: The tab remains hidden until The Apprentice reaches their Flying Start date. If the tab is still missing after this date, The Apprentice should contact The Coach for assistance. |
Question: Is there a minimum detail required for the Activity Description? | Answer: Yes. The Apprentice must provide a clear summary of the specific knowledge or skill gained. This level of detail is required to satisfy Department for Education (DfE) audit standards. |
Question: Can The Apprentice log hours for a workshop that took place on a Monday and a Thursday in one submission? | Answer: Yes. By using the 'Multiple Days' toggle, The Apprentice can select non-consecutive dates (Monday and Thursday) and submit them simultaneously. |
Question: If The Apprentice spent three hours on Self-Study on Tuesday and one hour on Wednesday, does this require two separate submissions? | Answer: No. If the activity description is the same, The Apprentice can select both dates and input different time durations (3 hours and 1 hour respectively) within a single submission. |
Question: How can The Apprentice correct a mistake made during a multiple-day submission? | Answer: Because The Platform creates individual entries for each date, The Apprentice can navigate to a specific date in the log to modify or delete that individual entry without affecting the other dates in the batch. |