5 to 11 February was National Apprenticeship Week in the UK. This year’s theme is ‘Skills for Life’, which is about acknowledging how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to share more about the solicitor apprenticeship scheme and how it has shaped my career from solicitor apprentice to associate in the family law team.
Withers was heavily involved in the birth of solicitor apprenticeships and was one of first few city employers in the UK to offer this revolutionary route to qualification.
The solicitor apprenticeship route has truly shaped my experience as a newly qualified family associate at Withers
The initial four years of the scheme involve studying a law degree part-time while working in the legal profession. This is followed by a further two years of study which involves sitting the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam. Employers fund all associated fees and so one of the key benefits of the scheme is that apprentices do not have to self-fund their study without the guarantee of a training contract.
Qualifying through the solicitor apprenticeship route has truly shaped my experience as a newly qualified family associate at Withers.
The Withers family law team have an international client base and often represent clients from diverse backgrounds with varied life experiences. The apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to develop invaluable professional skills and deepen my legal expertise in ways that the conventional route to qualification does not. I work with our clients drawing the benefit of the practical experience I have gained through the scheme and this has allowed me to offer a well-rounded client experience.
A key benefit of the apprenticeship scheme is opening up and diversifying the legal profession. Embracing this route to qualification means firms and their client base will benefit from the diversity of thought, skills and practical experience that an apprentice brings to the profession.
It is encouraging to see that in the past six years the legal profession has seen an extraordinary increase in the number of firms offering this alternative route to qualification.
I anticipate a drastic change in the makeup of the profession in the coming years and look forward to seeing the positive impact solicitor apprenticeships are likely to continue to have moving forward.
