What is day release apprenticeship training?

You may be aware the as part of an apprenticeship, they must pair their time at work with some classroom training, this ensures that skills, knowledge and behaviours learned on-the-job are combined with regular off-the-job learning. It serves to reinforce an apprentice’s experiences in the workplace, helps them apply theory to practice, and ensures that they are able to perform their job role to the highest possible standard.  

Day release is the most popular method of delivering this training by many training providers. Essentially the apprentice will spend 1 day a week at the training provider and the remainder at work. During their day release from work, they will learn new skills which will need to be paired with real experiences in the workplace to reinforce th learning.

If you want to find out about other methods of delivery, take a look at the following articles:

What is Block Release Training?

Apprenticeship Methods of Delivery: Suiting the Needs of your Business

Pros and cons of day release apprenticeship training

As mentioned, day release ensures that apprentices learn theory based on their practical experiences in the workplace that they could have had that very same week. For example, an apprentice who works in retail could learn about the theory of dealing with customer refund requests a week before having to undertake that task in the workplace.

Futher benefits to the apprentice include regular routine. Block Release apprenticeships are as you can guess, large blocks at infrequent times in their apprenticeship, where it may be difficult to have a routine of learning and putting into practice.

Additionally, for employers it ensures that valuable resource in your team is not unavailable for a longer period of time – as can be the case with block release apprenticeship training. On the other hand, busy periods at work, combined with coursework deadlines, can be stressful for an apprentice and it’s important for employers to be aware of their apprentice’s workload and offer support where possible.

For employers it ensures that valuable resource in your team is not unavailable for a longer period of time.

Day release training needs to be accessible for apprentices – it is unreasonable to request that they travel considerably further than they would be expected to commute to work. Therefore, it’s advisable to find a day release apprenticeship training provider that is located in the same town or city as the apprentice.

It is at the employer’s discretion if they wish to pay for the apprentice’s travel to their day release apprenticeship training provider. However, those in receipt of funds from the Apprenticeship Levy cannot use these funds to cover the cost of travel. The nature of day release means that employers do not need to pay for any accommodation costs, unlike block release apprenticeship training, where an apprentice may need to go to another part of the country for their training.

There are some challenges to Day Release though, as some industries suffer busier seasonal periods, this can become challenging for the employer and apprentice alike to manage their time between work and learning, particulalry if they are out for a day. To counteract this, employers should implement support systems for teams capability but also for the apprentice's wellbeing such as check-ins, mentoring, or more flexible schedules to ensure everyone can manage both their work and study effectively.

How do I find training providers who provide day release apprenticeship training?

Employers can find apprenticeship training providers who provide day release apprenticeship training by using Find a Training Provider. Simply search by location, apprenticeship standard, level of apprenticeship or industry and filter by training providers who provide day release apprenticeship training to get a comprehensive list of providers.

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If you need a little bit more support, why not reach out directly to us at hello@findatrainingprovider.co.uk and we can put you in touch with a provider that suits your needs for free.

How to decide which method of delivery works for my business?

Choosing a training method of delivery can be difficult, you may have your requirements but we have to take into account what your local providers can offer. Therefore it is suggetsed to stay open minded in discussions with your preferred provider.

A great starting point is to create a Training Needs Analysis, to ask yourself some questions as to what you need, when you need it and how it should happen.

To find out more, read our article on it here: What is Training Needs Analysis?

We have also put together a fantastic free template for you to download and use. Download it here: Training Needs Analysis Template

Day Release FAQ's

Can Day Release be done remotely?

Some Training Providers offer hybrid options combining online and in-person learning.

Who pays for the apprentice's travel?

Employers often choose to reimburse travel costs, although it is not mandatory. You cannot use apprenticeship levy funds for this.

Can i choose what day the apprentice goes to the Training Provider?

Maybe. Generally the curriculum will be set based on teacher availibility and if you are a small number of apprentices, there will be other employers with different requirements to you, so the provider has to juggle this. If you are able to recruit and train a cohort of apprentices, there may be more room for movement. This is a discussion to have with your provider.