which led me to Blacks Solicitors. I am the first apprentice to qualify at the firm through the Level Seven Solicitor Apprenticeship, and I was one of the first to apply when it was first offered at Blacks in 2016. The course gave me significant opportunities to experience life in a variety of different teams, gain valuable experience in a well-respected law firm and receive payment as I learned. What is involved in a legal apprenticeship? In general, as a legal apprentice you are likely to spend around 80% of your time working in the firm and 20% studying with the academic provider. The scheme is designed to present apprentices with the opportunity to gain a range of experience to develop legal skills, commercial awareness and knowledge of different areas of law. However, it is important to remember that each apprenticeship will differ in terms of roles and responsibilities. For example, I started as a Solicitor Apprentice in September 2016 and throughout my apprenticeship I gained experience across a variety of teams before qualifying in the Corporate and Commercial team. My apprenticeship gave me the required skills to specialise in commercial contracts including T&Cs, supply contracts, distribution contracts and licence agreements. I have also secured expertise in intellectual property and trade mark registrations. Why should other people consider a legal apprenticeship? For anyone who knows that university is not for them, it is important to remember that there are still options when it comes to achieving their 34 LAWYERMONTHLYMARCH 2023 dream career. As with many sectors, the apprenticeship route presents a fantastic opportunity to leave the traditional education system and learn on the job. Whilst academia and learning is critical for a job in the legal sector, the workplace requires an additional set of skills which are not currently taught in our education system. Apprenticeships offer the best of both worlds, with the academia broken up with practical, hands-on experience. After six years, I have the same qualifications as somebody who has followed the ‘traditional route’, in addition to no student debt and an invaluable skill set that most university graduates do not have. Working closely with a provider such as BPP University and a good law firm that places its people at the heart of business decisions will also mean that apprentices are able to balance their time between study, work and general life. This in turn means that not only are you being paid, but that you can still experience the same things that university students do.
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