Apprenticeship
WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP?
If you are trying to decide what to do after leaving school, there are two options that most people consider – going to university or getting a job. These are well-worn paths that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows from family or friends. Now there is a third route that people are talking about – a legal apprenticeship.
A legal apprenticeship is a job where you are given time to study, and coached in the skills you need to be able to contribute successfully in an office environment. You get taken on by an employer specifically to fill an apprenticeship vacancy, where you will be given time to study law and legal practice, but also learn workplace skills or ‘competences’.
The jobs vary according to the type of organisation you are working for. CILEx Law School teaches legal apprentices working for clients who are national and international law firms, as well as small legal practices with one or two partners. Apprenticeships are also offered by the legal departments of local authorities and other public sector organisations, such as the BBC and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). All large companies also have legal departments, and we are currently teaching a group of apprentices working for a major construction company.
CILEx Law School has a lot of current vacancies on their website, and you can check to see if there is anything in your local area.
That depends! If you are working for a small law firm that carries out personal legal work for individuals, you will be doing different work from if you are looking at construction contracts.
Your apprenticeship employment is for a set period of time, during which you will study for a recognised qualification.
The Paralegal Apprenticeship incorporates a CILEx Level 3 Certificate. Many employers that CILEx Law School are working with are using apprenticeships as a way of recruiting new talent, and are looking for loyal employees who they will develop further. The CILEx Level 3 Certificate contributes to the overall training to become a Chartered Legal Executive.
This is what some apprentices being taught by CILEx Law School have to say about their experiences:
I was attracted to the apprenticeship route because the idea of learning, gaining a qualification and earning money at the same time really appealed to me. I was worried university would be a dead end with lots of debt.
My daily tasks include helping my colleagues to contract new or existing TV programmes, updating various documents with incoming information and facts and figures. I also send many e-mails and some letters to clients or the BBC’s partner businesses regarding deals and contracts.
Ella Lycett,
BBC’s department of Rights, Legal & Business Affairs
I assist two Senior Associate Solicitors and they are always looking to challenge me.
To date, I have sat behind Counsel on a number of family law hearings, visited clients’ homes in private client matters and handled a completion on a recent house sale.
My first pay cheque was mostly spent on a new wardrobe of work clothes but I am the envy of all my uni-going friends as I have money in the bank.
Samantha Hall,
Morrisons Solicitors
Within the same amount of time as doing a degree, it’s possible to have completed a Level 3 qualification and have begun studying the next level, if that’s your choice, or be working as a qualified, permanent employee.
Gemma Truelove,
HMRC
I think the biggest benefit of an apprenticeship is that, unlike my friends who did go to university, I have already started paying into my pension and have gained experience and made my name in an organisation where I could potentially spend the rest of my working life. When I talk to my friends about future things, like pensions, they start to get worried because they won’t start paying in for three more years, while I’ve got a head start and could potentially be better off in the future.
Billy Attaway,
Swale Borough Council
My apprenticeship has been an invaluable springboard for my career. It has allowed me to establish myself within an international law ÿrm and have them invest in my development. I have gained invaluable practical experience, which has allowed me to develop essential skills in order to become a good lawyer. Similarly, I have been given incredible opportunities as part of my apprenticeship, which have definitely enhanced my professional and my personal development. My career prospects are now exponentially higher than they would have been if I had taken an alternative route into law, because of the personal and professional development I have gained.
I had never studied law or even had a job before starting my apprenticeship. I wish I had known that the whole apprenticeship scheme was designed to help me develop and learn everything I needed, and therefore I didn’t have to worry about my lack of experience!
Emily Barnes,
Hill Dickinson
All apprenticeships are listed on the GOV.UK website. You can also look for vacancies on: www.notgoingtouni.co.uk and on: www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk. CILEx Law School is the leading provider of legal apprenticeship training, and vacancies with our employer clients are listed at: www.cilexlawschool.ac.uk