Weightmans, Addleshaw Goddard and Oxfordshire-based Brethertons Solicitors have all made it on to the top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list.
The list, which is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City & Guilds, recognises excellence in businesses that employ apprentices. The three firms were selected by a panel of judges from the employment and skills arena for their exceptional contribution to apprenticeships.
With law firms increasingly looking at new routes into the profession, particularly as a way to encourage people from poorer backgrounds into legal services, top 50 law firm Weightmans was selected for its heavy intake, with ten apprentices across legal, paralegal, business administration, management and accounting. The firm was also highly commended in the Rolls Royce Award for Newcomer Large Employer of the Year.
Rob Williams, partner and board director at Weightmans, said: ‘We are the first employer in the country to recruit a Higher Apprentice in Legal Services and hope to help many more young people who have chosen the apprenticeship route into a successful legal career.’
Meanwhile, Brethertons’ apprenticeship programme, supported by training providers Heart of England and CILEX, has engaged 41 young people since its inception 13 years ago. Deborah Atkins, partner and head of HR, said: ‘Our apprenticeship programme serves to nurture and give real opportunities.’
Addleshaw Goddard, which this year has been working with government on establishing standards for apprentices to qualify as solicitors, also made it onto the list.
The list was announced by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg at the National Apprenticeship Awards last week. ‘I would encourage more businesses across England to follow these shining examples and find out how apprenticeships can help them build a skilled, motivated and highly qualified workforce,’ said Clegg. ‘For the Top 100 Apprentice Employers recognised in 2014, their great achievement clearly outlines why apprenticeships deliver the skills that young people and the economy need.’
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
