This article explains why some Apprentices will see their overall Off-the-Job (OTJ) training target reduce in early June 2026, what is changing, and what action to take.
What Is Changing
In early June 2026, some Apprentices will see their overall Off-the-Job (OTJ) training target on the platform reduce by around 40 to 50 hours. This is a deliberate change. It applies a lower government OTJ transition hours target to apprentices on eligible programmes. The change is positive. The Apprentice now has fewer total hours to log before gateway. Nothing in the Apprentice's training plan or learning content changes.
Why This Is Happening
A year ago, the government changed how OTJ is calculated. The requirement moved from a weekly average (around 6 hours per week) to a fixed total number of hours per apprenticeship standard. For a small number of standards, the government introduced a lower OTJ transition hours target. This lower target applies to Apprentices who started their apprenticeship between 1 August and 31 December 2025.
Multiverse has now confirmed that this lower target can be applied to eligible programmes. Affected apprentices benefit from the reduction.
Who Is Affected
The OTJ transition hours target applies to Apprentices who started between 1 August 2025 and 31 December 2025 on one of the following programmes:
Programme | Standard | Previous OTJ target | New OTJ target |
AI Powered Productivity (AIPP) | L3 Digital Support Technician | 370 hours | 326 hours |
Business Transformation Fellowship (BTF) | L4 Business Analyst | 348 hours | 300 hours |
AI for Business Value (AIBV), full and part time | L4 Business Analyst | 348 hours | 300 hours |
Data Insights for Business Decisions (DIBD), full and part time | L3 Data Technician | 348 hours | 300 hours |
Each apprentice has an individual OTJ target, set by a prior learning assessment at the start of the apprenticeship. The exact reduction varies by individual, so the figures above are a guide rather than an exact value. Apprentices on other programmes, or who started outside these dates, are not affected by this change.
What the Apprentice Will See
By the end of the rollout in early June 2026, an affected Apprentice sees the following on the platform:
The overall OTJ target reduces by around 40 to 50 hours.
Progress towards the overall OTJ target improves. Multiverse applies the new target retrospectively. An Apprentice who is behind finds the gap has narrowed. An Apprentice at or above target is further ahead than before.
The weekly OTJ target reduces by around 1 hour.
The training plan does not change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions | Answers |
Question: Why has my OTJ target suddenly gone down? | Answer: The reduction is intentional. Multiverse has applied a lower government OTJ transition hours target to eligible programmes. The Apprentice now has fewer total hours to log before gateway. |
Question: Does this mean my learning or training plan has changed? | Answer: No. The training plan and learning content do not change. Only the total number of OTJ hours required reduces. |
Question: Why does my progress percentage suddenly look better? | Answer: Multiverse applies the new, lower target retrospectively. Because the total required hours reduce, existing logged hours now represent a higher percentage of the target. |
Question: Question: I am on a different programme. Will my target reduce too? | Answer: Not at this time. The change applies only to specified programmes for apprentices who started between 1 August and 31 December 2025. Multiverse monitors other programmes and may apply the change later where needed. |
Question: Will the reduced target affect the value of my apprenticeship? | Answer: No. The learning plan does not change. The reduction lowers the administrative logging burden so the Apprentice can focus on learning and applying skills. |