CANTERBURY, U.K. -- Entry into the legal industry is becoming increasingly difficult and top law firms are discussing whether it is time for legal apprenticeships to move centre-stage.
Around 12 law firms to date want to be involved in a campaign to provide a clear route for school leavers to become qualified solicitors. An impressive 83% of law firms in the UK have told Skills for Justice about their interests in offering apprenticeships.
Training provider BPP has plans to prepare a master level apprenticeship to school leavers, which have been given a successful boost since the LETR, Legal Education and Training Review, has been published.
The LETR has ambitious plans to make it equally possible to gain qualifications by both routes whether it is through academic education or through vocational routes. The LETR plan to do this by recommending higher-level apprenticeships to be further developed.
This includes plans to increase the number of law firms who employ young people as well as providing apprenticeships since a demand for law degrees has increased by 42% since 2012.
Law firms in the UK offer few opportunities to school leavers and graduates wishing to complete an apprenticeship. In fact, apprenticeships and training have been at the lowest level since 1999.
However since a demand for apprenticeships is becoming more popular, law firms are starting to offer their own apprenticeship schemes for qualified paralegals to gain first hand experience working in the legal industry.
Emma Dickinson is an employment solicitor in Canterbury and Maidstone for Whitehead Monckton, one of the leading law firms in Kent, has shared her views on the amount of law firms that want to be involved in the campaign:
" Getting that recognition will be critical. However, it is too early to say if this is achievable: ‘The Skills for Justice website says, “As yet, we are not 100% sure what form a Level 7 Higher Legal Service Apprenticeship would take, but it would certainly be a qualification equivalent in difficulty to the LPC.”
Unfortunately, just because something is equivalent in difficulty does not mean that it will be recognised by institutions or individuals as a directly equivalent qualification.’
The positive outcome since the LETR has been published could be a big step towards new business opportunities for Law Schools and Training providers in the UK, however law firms may not accept the apprenticeship skills as relevant qualifications for a permanent role within the legal industry.
Whitehead Monckton Solicitors in Maidstone specialize in a range of legal sectors including employment law, family law and wills and probate. Visit the Whitehead Monckton website for more information on the leading law firm in Kent, providing Solicitors in Canterbury, Maidstone and Tenterden.
