Wilsons celebrates National Apprenticeship Week 2022

Wilsons is excited to be celebrating its second National Apprenticeship Week together with our six graduate apprentices Isaac Abraham, Shayne Brown, Lorela Mehmeti (above second from left), Nick O’Loughnan, Alaa Ahmed and Giulietta Grassi (above left), and our three post A level solicitor apprentices Goldinne Opoku-Agyemann, Zara Haleem (above second from right) and Hamza Gallo (above right).

We are so proud of all of you!Having all gained a law degree or completed a law conversion course and completed over a year’s casework here at Wilsons, our six graduate apprentices are all now following the apprenticeship path to qualification rather than the traditional LPC/training contract route. They spend four days each week on casework, gaining valuable experience and developing their legal skills in a similar way to a traditional training contract. Alongside that, they spend one day a week on ‘off-the-job’ training, including preparation for the SQE exams, with the University of Law, funded by the government’s apprenticeship scheme with an employer contribution from us.

On successful completion they will be admitted to the roll of solicitors in the usual way, with our first cohort due to qualify in 2023.

Our three post A level solicitor apprentices joined us in September 2021 and follow a similar path over six years, gaining a law degree along the way.Both solicitor apprentice schemes offer an affordable alternative to the traditional LPC route to qualification and we very much hope it will go some way towards opening up the profession to those who would not otherwise be able to access it.

Read more about our apprenticeships at Wilsons and in legal aid firms in general in this interview with our partner Katy Robinson and Young Legal Aid Lawyers here.

And more general information about solicitor apprenticeships here and for employers here.

For any questions about apprenticeships at Wilsons please contact our Public Law partner Katy Robinson.