Legal services apprenticeship to be launched by CILEx

The initiative is aimed primarily at school leavers and is led by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Under the scheme employers will receive government funding to train employees, depending on the employee’s age.

Last month, skills minister Matthew Hancock wrote in The Telegraph about government plans to recognise higher level legal apprenticeships (levels six and seven) as equivalent to bachelors or masters degrees later this year.

He named BPP as one educator with plans to develop apprenticeships for school leavers wishing to become solicitors without going to university. The scheme is expected to launch in September.

Under the CILEx scheme, if the employee is 16-18 years old, an employer will receive 100 per cent of the training’s cost in government funding. If an employee is 18-24 years of age, an employer will receive 50 per cent of funding, in accordance with national apprenticeship guidelines.

CILEx CEO Diane Burleigh said: “We’ve been leading on vocational learning in law for 50 years and we’re already the awarding body for the Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services, so continuing to lead on the creation of further legal apprenticeships and providing more options for paralegals and aspiring lawyers is only natural.”

The level three advanced apprenticeship in legal services is in partnership with Skills for Justice and supported by the College of Law.