Mayer Brown is to change its apprenticeship program, moving from the Articled Apprenticeship it pioneered with the University of Law (ULaw) to the Trailblazer scheme, which will be delivered in partnership with BPP.
ULaw launched its Articled Apprenticeship program in 2014, with Mayer Brown becoming the first large firm to sign up the following year.
However, the government-backed Trailblazer scheme was then launched at the end of 2015, and has become the preferred apprenticeship for law firms looking to take school leavers, with Eversheds, Burges Salmon and Kennedys among those getting on board.
Both ‘Articled’ and ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeships lead to qualification as a solicitor in six years; however their format differs slightly and the latter is government-funded so its students do not have to pay for the academic study part of the programme.
Mayer Brown will move to the Trailblazer Solicitor Apprenticeship Standard in 2018. As part of the transition, as of 1 February 2017, the part-time LLB for students on the currently Articled Apprenticeship will be delivered by BPP instead of ULaw.
Study leave has also been formalised to align with the Trailblazer Apprenticeship, which stipulates that students must spend 20 per cent of their time on ‘off-the-job‘ training.
Mayer Brown head of HR Sarah Prior said: “As BPP already delivers the LPC for our trainees, our training offering for all future lawyers will sit with one provider when we launch the new Solicitors Apprenticeship next year.”
