Eversheds kicks off apprenticeship scheme
Eversheds is considering following Norton Rose’s lead and taking on apprentices in a number of its support departments.
During National Apprenticeship Week (7-11 February) Norton Rose announced that it had taken on an apprentice to work as a cashier in its finance team.
Working alongside the National Apprenticeship Service, the top 10 law firm is considering whether it can offer further apprenticeships within its finance, HR, professional resources and IT departments.
Eversheds confirmed that it is considering enrolling students who have reached GCSE level into its paralegal community, knowledge management and IT services as part of the scheme.
The firm’s HR director Angus MacGregor said: “We’ve acknowledged that some people are wired in a different way and don’t necessarily need to do A-levels or be graduates. Generation Z wants to get to the endzone more quickly.
“Part of [the apprenticeship programme] is also about widening access to the legal profession and extending the pool we recruit from.”
A number of law firms are expected to be involved in the City of London Business Traineeship Scheme this year, whereby students work in finance, HR and communications departments.
Last year magic circle firms Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance signed up to the scheme, as well as DWF and Paul Hastings.
The traineeship scheme, which was introduced in 1994-95, acts as brokerage that brings together school leavers from boroughs neighbouring the City with businesses in the Square Mile.
Readers' comments (4)
Anonymous | 14-Feb-2011 11:06 am
Have been working as an apprentice in the Finance Department for 12 months now at a large Firm in Birmingham - just completed my course and have now been taken on full-time as a permanent employee.
Bit behind the times in London eh !!!!
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Anonymous | 14-Feb-2011 2:12 pm
What is the "endzone", and will a post-GCSE joiner really get there quicker than a graduate? If the aim is to become a solicitor, presumably a GCSE joiner would struggle to make it to that level in the 6/7 years that a peer would take to do A-levels, a degree, a GDL (if needed) and an LPC.
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Curtly Etchells | 14-Feb-2011 6:54 pm
I am currently finishing my GCSEs and i am looking at doing a law degree and then a training contract. My plan is to have a complete academic route but would this apprentice route mean anything? Would it get me into a job faster?
Also if anybody could offer me any advice in the route to take, including A-Level subjects to take, please do contact me at curtly@hotmail.co.uk.
Regards,
Curtly
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Anonymous | 15-Feb-2011 2:57 pm
This is a smart move.
As the work becomes more computerised firms will not need educated people.
It may even be the case that students with GCSE's are to bright to do mind-numbing computerised paralegal work.
Who knows but I think Eversheds realise that in the future students are not going to pay £9,000 per annum for a law degree plus £10,000 on the LPC to work as a paralegal.
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