What Is Off the Job Training for a Business Administrator Apprenticeship?
If you are considering a Business Administrator Apprenticeship for yourself or your employees, you may have come across the term off the job training.
But what does off the job training actually mean?
Off the job training is an important part of an apprenticeship. It gives the apprentice dedicated time during their normal working hours to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by their apprenticeship standard.
For employers, understanding how off the job training works can make it much easier to plan an apprenticeship around business priorities while giving the learner enough time to develop their capabilities.
In this guide, we explain what off the job training means, what can count towards it, how the current rules work for Business Administrator apprentices and how employers can support effective apprenticeship training.
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Table of Content:
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What Is Off the Job Training?
Off the job training is training undertaken by an apprentice during their normal working hours that is directly relevant to their apprenticeship standard.
The purpose is to help the apprentice develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become occupationally competent.
Importantly, off the job training does not necessarily mean that an apprentice has to leave the workplace.
Training can take place at the employer’s premises, with a training provider, online or through a combination of different approaches.
For a Business Administrator Apprentice, this could include structured learning about communication, project management, business processes, digital tools, problem solving or other areas relevant to the apprenticeship standard.
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Why Is Off the Job Training Important?
An apprenticeship is designed to combine employment with structured learning.
An apprentice is expected to contribute to the organisation while also developing new capabilities through their apprenticeship programme. Off the job training creates protected time for that learning to take place.
Without dedicated learning time, there is a risk that an apprentice could spend most of their working hours simply completing their normal job responsibilities without developing the new knowledge and skills required by the apprenticeship.
The current government guidance explains that off the job training must provide new learning that is directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard.
For employers, this means off the job training should be viewed as part of the employee’s development rather than time away from productive work.
If you are considering a Business Administrator Apprenticeship for an existing employee, structured off the job training can provide a framework for developing skills while the learner continues contributing to the organisation.
Looking to develop your existing administrative staff?
Momentous Learning’s Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship combines workplace learning with structured development to help employees build practical business and administrative capability.
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How Much Off the Job Training Does a Business Administrator Apprentice Need?
This is an area where apprenticeship rules have changed.
For new apprenticeship starts from 1 August 2025, the previous approach of calculating a minimum amount of off the job training based on a percentage of the apprentice’s working hours was replaced by published minimum training hours for each apprenticeship standard.
For the current Business Administrator standard, Skills England lists a minimum of 348 hours for compliance.
This means employers should not simply assume that every apprentice needs the same number of off the job training hours based on a 20% calculation.
Instead, the minimum hours for the relevant apprenticeship standard should be used.
The exact training plan will depend on the apprentice, their prior learning, the programme arrangements and the requirements that apply to their apprenticeship start date.
Your training provider should explain how the required learning hours will be planned, delivered and recorded.
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Does Off the Job Training Mean One Day a Week?
No.
There is no requirement for Business Administrator Apprentices to spend one fixed day every week away from their normal work.
The current guidance allows training to be delivered in different ways, provided the required training is completed and meets the relevant rules.
Training could take place through:
A full day of structured learning
Part of a working day
Online learning
Learning sessions with a training provider
Workplace mentoring
Practical learning activities
Independent study
Assignments and projects
A combination of different learning activities
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The government guidance specifically explains that off the job training can be organised in different patterns, including individual days, blocks of time or other arrangements agreed between the employer, apprentice and training provider.
This flexibility can be particularly useful for employers who need to balance employee development with operational requirements.
Need a Business Administrator Apprenticeship that fits around your organisation?
Momentous Learning delivers practical workplace learning alongside structured development, helping employers support employee development without treating learning as something separate from the workplace.
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What Counts as Off the Job Training?
For an activity to count as off the job training, it needs to meet the relevant requirements.
The activity should:
Be directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard
Develop new knowledge, skills or behaviours
Take place during the apprentice’s normal working hours
Contribute towards the apprentice becoming occupationally competent
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The current government guidance gives examples of activities that can count, including theory, practical training, mentoring, shadowing, learning support, assignments and revision where these are directly relevant to the apprenticeship.
For a Business Administrator Apprentice, this could mean learning about a new business process, developing project management capability, completing structured learning about communication or working on a project designed to develop skills included within the apprenticeship standard.
The key consideration is whether the activity is genuinely developing new capability relevant to the apprenticeship.
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What Does Not Count as Off the Job Training?
Not every type of learning or workplace activity can be included.
Examples of activities that do not count include:
Initial assessment and onboarding
Progress reviews
Training that is not relevant to the apprenticeship standard
Standalone English and maths qualifications
Examinations and other testing
Training undertaken outside normal working hours unless the relevant arrangements and compensation requirements are met
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The current guidance also makes clear that simply carrying out normal workplace duties does not automatically make an activity off the job training.
This distinction is important for employers.
An apprentice can learn a great deal through their normal role, but an activity should only be counted towards the required off the job training where it meets the relevant criteria.
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Can Workplace Learning Count as Off the Job Training?
Yes.
One of the common misconceptions about off the job training is that it must happen somewhere away from the employer’s workplace.
That is not the case.
Training can take place within the workplace where it is structured appropriately and meets the requirements for off the job training. The government guidance specifically recognises workplace based learning, mentoring, shadowing and practical training as examples of activities that may count.
For a Business Administrator Apprentice, this could involve learning a new process, working through a structured business project or developing new skills through supported workplace activities.
The important distinction is that the activity must be focused on developing new knowledge, skills or behaviours required by the apprenticeship rather than simply completing normal duties.
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How Does Off the Job Training Work in a Business Administrator Apprenticeship?
A Business Administrator Apprenticeship is designed around practical workplace development.
Business administrators can work across a wide range of organisations and may support different teams, customers and business functions. The standard includes transferable capabilities such as communication, organisation, problem solving, decision making and managing priorities.
This makes workplace application particularly relevant.
At Momentous Learning, the Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship is delivered through a combination of practical workplace learning, monthly coaching, collaborative Learning Labs, a personalised digital learning plan and access to the Momentous Learning Academy. The programme typically takes 13 months before End Point Assessment.
This approach allows learners to connect structured learning with their actual responsibilities and development needs.
What Does Off the Job Training Look Like in Practice?
Imagine an employee who works as a business administrator and spends much of their time coordinating tasks, supporting colleagues and managing information.
As part of their apprenticeship, they might complete structured learning around project management.
They could then apply that new knowledge to a workplace project.
For example, they may be involved in planning a new internal process, coordinating activities across different teams or helping monitor progress against deadlines.
The normal work activity itself is not automatically off the job training.
However, structured learning that develops new knowledge and skills relevant to the apprenticeship can count where it meets the relevant requirements.
This creates a useful relationship between learning and workplace application.
The apprentice learns something new, applies it in an appropriate workplace context and develops greater confidence and capability as a result.
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What Are the Benefits for Employers?
Off the job training is not simply an administrative requirement.
When planned effectively, it can support wider workforce development.
For employers, a Business Administrator Apprenticeship can help develop employees in areas such as:
Organisation and prioritisation
Communication
Digital confidence
Problem solving
Project support
Process improvement
Stakeholder management
Decision making
Professional development
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These capabilities can have practical value because business administrators often work across different teams and support a wide range of organisational activities.
Developing existing employees can also provide an alternative to relying entirely on external recruitment when an organisation needs to strengthen its administrative capability.
Want to develop your existing employees?
Momentous Learning can help employers explore whether the Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship is suitable for their workforce and development objectives.
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How Should Employers Plan Off the Job Training?
Good planning can make off the job training much easier to manage.
Employers should work closely with their apprentice and training provider to understand:
What training the apprentice needs
How much training is required
When the training will take place
How learning will be applied in the workplace
How progress will be monitored
How training activity will be recorded
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The training plan should provide clarity around the learning that needs to take place and how it will be delivered. Government guidance states that required and eligible off the job training activity should be agreed and documented as part of the training plan.
Employers should also make sure apprentices have protected time to complete their training rather than expecting them to fit apprenticeship learning around all of their normal responsibilities.
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Can Off the Job Training Be Flexible?
Yes.
Flexibility is one of the key features of the current approach.
The government guidance explains that providers have greater flexibility to deliver the required volume of training over the apprenticeship duration, subject to the minimum duration and other relevant requirements.
This can help employers plan learning around operational requirements.
For example, an organisation could work with its training provider to plan learning around quieter periods, important business activity or the apprentice’s development needs.
The important point is that flexibility should not mean reducing the quality or relevance of the learning.
The apprentice still needs to receive the required training and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours associated with the apprenticeship standard.
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What Is the Employer’s Role in Off the Job Training?
Employers have an important role to play in making an apprenticeship successful.
The training provider is responsible for delivering and evidencing the required off the job training, but employers also need to support the apprentice by providing time and opportunities to learn.
A supportive employer can help by:
Protecting time for learning
Providing opportunities to apply new skills
Supporting workplace projects
Communicating regularly with the training provider
Encouraging the apprentice to ask questions
Linking learning to genuine workplace opportunities
Supporting the apprentice’s wider career development
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This is particularly important for business administration because many of the skills developed through the apprenticeship can be applied directly within the organisation.
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Why Choose Momentous Learning for Business Administrator Training?
For employers looking for business administration training for employees, the quality and structure of the learning experience matter.
Momentous Learning’s Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship combines workplace learning with structured development, including monthly Coaching Conversations, collaborative Learning Labs, a personalised digital learning plan, practical workplace learning, access to the Momentous Learning Academy and preparation for End Point Assessment.
The focus is on helping learners develop practical capability that can be applied within their organisation.
This can make the apprenticeship relevant not only to new recruits but also to employers looking to develop existing administrative staff and support future progression.
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Making Off the Job Training Work for Your Business
Off the job training is a core part of apprenticeship delivery, but it does not have to mean removing an apprentice from the workplace for one fixed day every week.
The current approach gives employers and training providers flexibility to organise learning in ways that work for the apprentice and the organisation, while still meeting the required training hours and quality requirements.
For Business Administrator Apprentices, the most effective approach is one where structured learning connects naturally with workplace development.
When employers provide protected learning time, meaningful opportunities to apply new skills and regular support, an apprenticeship can become much more than a qualification.
It can become a practical workforce development tool.
Thinking about developing your business administration team?
If you are considering a Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship for an existing employee or looking to recruit an apprentice, Momentous Learning can help you explore the programme and understand how it could support your organisation.
