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#What is a legal apprenticeship? More Law

There s no denying it - apprenticeships in the legal sector are gaining momentum. The traditional route to being a lawyer has been challenged by, among other things, the Legal Education and Training Review which reported in June 2013. the rise of legal executives, increasing paralegal numbers, and alternative business structures (ABS). Combine this with university tuition fee hikes, which further increase the appeal of starting a career in law without the need for an expensive degree, and it s plain to see that the legal landscape is in the grip of a massive shake-up.

Since 2011, an increasing number of firms have been pledging their support to external apprenticeship schemes or launching their own. Skills for Justice (SFJ) conducted a survey in 2012 of 51 firms and found that they are likely to increase the number of paralegals they employ by 18% over the next five years. More significantly, 83% of firms said they would be interested in taking on apprentices. The writing is on the wall; apprenticeships are here to stay.

One note of caution; while the following information is correct at time of writing, this is a fluid area of the market and we can t hope to name all the firms or organisations involved in the apprenticeship movement on this page. We will continue to update as we learn more.

Becoming an apprentice

In most cases, an apprentice is an individual who will join a law firm straight from school, rather than going to university, to work in a role similar to that of a paralegal. Most apprentices will also receive on-the-job training that takes them towards a formal qualification, for example as a legal executive through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

Various schemes have been launched over the past couple of years, with many more in development. They include:

• January 2012 - SFJ and the Crown Prosecution Service announce that they re working on an advanced paralegal apprenticeship, which would include formal qualifications and training opportunities.
• May 2012 - The London Apprenticeship Company announces that as of 2013, it will be offering additional formal apprenticeships intended for individuals working in paralegal roles.
• June 2012 - The Co-op, an early adopter of the ABS model, announces that it will create 3,000 new jobs in the legal services sector, many of which will be apprenticeships. Peter Marks, chief executive of the Co-operative Group, said: We are particularly keen to use our expansion as a way to offer opportunities to young people. Legal apprenticeships and opportunities for study leave will form an important part of this major employment opportunity.
• June 2012 - The government gives nearly 1 million to the legal sector to create 750 apprenticeships by March 2015. The Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services launched in March 2013, while Levels 2 and 3 were also rolled out over the following year to provide school leavers and existing paralegals with a clear, work-based, paid route to a formal qualification and the option to progress further to become a chartered legal executive. Pearson in Practice, CILEx and SFJ have all played key roles in the development and ongoing running of the programme. Fiona McBride, chief executive of Pearson in Practice, said: We welcome the government s continued emphasis on higher-level apprenticeships as a true and credible alternative to university education and are pleased to be able to bring this into the legal services sector. It reveals what we believe is a shift in public opinion about the value of vocational learning and demonstrates a widespread understanding of the important role that apprenticeships play in setting young people on the path towards not just a job, but a sustainable and fulfilling career.
• July 2013 - Cardiff-based Kaplan Altior launched its level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services course, in partnership with apprenticeship specialists Acorn. The first provider to run such a course in Wales, Kaplan s scheme allows Welsh law firms access to fully-funded, higher apprentices and school leavers the chance to earn a salary while gaining the knowledge and skills to build a successful career in law .
• March 2014 - The government announces the new Trailblazer scheme, designed to standardise apprenticeships across the profession. The scheme is supported by various firms and providers. as well as CILEx and the SRA. In September the scheme s standards were formaly approved, alowing ti to move onto its second phase of development.
• November 2014 - The University of Law launches its articled apprenticeship programme. allowing school leavers to become fully qualified solcitiors (via apprenticeship) after six years on-the-job training.

Clearly the emphasis here is on helping young people get into work, in combination with training them to continue their way up the career ladder. As McBride highlights, there is a noticeable shift in perception about vocational learning - a point made by Legal Cheek s Alex Aldridge in the Guardian in July 2012: The current anti-snobbery mood running through the legal profession in the wake of the Legal Services Act (which, among other things, will allow non-lawyers, including paralegals, to become partners in law firms) is such that that the hard-working and intelligent apprentices of the future will surely be allowed to progress to an ever greater extent - even if nobody is quite sure how far.

Uptake by firms

Research by the National Apprenticeship Service shows that 77% of employers who already have apprentices believe they make them more competitive and 88% believe that they lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. Many firms will be hoping these statistics will also apply to them.

Again, the last couple of years has seen the number of apprentice schemes offered by law firms rise significantly. Here is a list of firms that offer apprenticeships (both in legal and support roles) and the year in which they launched their schemes:

2011:

2012:

2013:

2014:

Case study

In July 2012 Browne Jacobson announced that it would be taking on six school leavers as part of an initiative set up in partnership with Vision West Nottinghamshire College and ILEX Tutorial College. They will have the opportunity to gain work while also gaining industry recognised qualifications. Susan Mabbott, partner at the firm, said: We firmly believe that this new apprenticeship pathway, with its opportunity of immediate work and the chance to study towards a credible qualification without racking up a mountain of debt, will prove an attractive proposition to many young people . The first cohort of six apprentices joined in September 2012, with a further four in January 2013.

Sally Swift, legal services manager at the firm, explains why the firm has gone for an apprenticeship scheme and how she thinks it will benefit Browne Jacobson. As a local employer, we have a commitment to invest in the future of the communities we serve, says Sally, and we firmly believe this new apprenticeship pathway, with its opportunity of immediate work and the chance to study towards a qualification without racking up debt, will prove an attractive proposition to many young people.

The firm has also been working with SFJ on developing national apprenticeship standards and is keen to ensure a steady supply of home-grown legal talent which would complement both the government s focus on young people as well as the SRA s promotion of social mobility within the legal industry .

Sally is also keen to emphasise the benefits for individuals who seek to become apprentices, which include not paying for tuition fees and earning money. Applications from UK students for university courses starting in Autumn 2012 have fallen by more than 8%, with rising tuition fees clearly making a lot of young people think twice before going into higher education, says Sally. The Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services will open up new opportunities for young people across the country. But, as a forward-thinking firm, we decided to develop an alternative route in the meantime.

This film looks at how Weightmans is benefitting from the Higher Apprenticeships in Legal Services scheme:

Legal apprenticeship vacancies

With ever more schemes and initiatives emerging from firms and other bodies, the rise of the apprentice is guaranteed. We will try to keep you updated with info on how to get an apprenticeship, including details on who can apply and where, on the Legal apprenticeships page .

The apprentice experience