Today (7 March) marks the end of the 7th National Apprenticeship Week, an initiative coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, which this year has seen announcements about the launch or expansion of legal training programmes by Clyde & Co, Kennedys, the BBC and Oldham Council.
BBC director-general Tony Hall revealed on 3 March that the broadcaster’s London-based legal department will offer three legal services apprenticeships, with recruitment to start in September 2014.
‘I’m passionate about giving everyone the chance to shine in our industry. That’s why we’re opening up opportunities in new areas of the BBC to the brightest talent from the broadest range of backgrounds,’ Hall said.
Clyde & Co, meanwhile, announced that its Manchester-based personal injury team will take on apprentices, who will follow an 18-month civil litigation learning programme.
‘We understand the need to recognise and recruit talent at a grassroots level and believe that widening access to the legal profession is key to ensuring access to a greater pool of talent,’ said Clyde & Co HR director Charlie Keeling.
Kennedys will also be recruiting a minimum of five more legal apprentices this spring. The chosen school-leavers will begin work in the top 50 UK law firm’s Manchester, Sheffield, Chelmsford and London offices this September. This additional intake follows two initiatives in 2012 and 2013, when ten and seven apprentices were taken on respectively.
Oldham Council will be adding two apprentices to its in-house legal team, with one school leaver to be recruited for the local authority’s property team, and the other to join the civil litigation team.
The new apprentices of all four employers will be pursuing training programmes organised by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), which this week disclosed that it is part of phase two of the governmental Trailblazer project that will standardise apprenticeships across the legal sector.
ruxandra.lordache@legalease.co.uk
This article first appeared on Lex 100, Legal Business’s sister title