Social diversity initiative PRIME has exceeded its target for the number of work experience placements offered, with 10% more opportunities given at law firms than was aimed for.

Over 750 work experience placements were given to students through PRIME, according to an evaluation report into a scheme published today (30 November), which reviews the performance of 20 of the 22 founding member firms over a period from January to August this year. This equates to 60% of the number of training contracts on offer at these 20 firms.

Signatories to PRIME have each committed to providing a number of work experience places that totals not less than 50% of the number of training contracts they offer each year.

Of the founding firms, two did not have schemes fitting with the January to August 2012 research period for the report.

Other headline findings in the report, which was put together by the National Foundation for Educational research (NFER), show that 58% of students on the placements were from black or minority ethnic backgrounds.

Eighty two percent of the students offered placements at the 20 firms this year met the PRIME criteria, with the report also taking account of a number of existing work experience schemes on offer at the firms. In future, 100% of participants will have attended state school and are either eligible for free school meals or in a school with above average free school meal rates or be the first generation in their family that would attend university.

Meanwhile, the report showed that 86% of participants accessed their first work experience in the legal profession through PRIME, 96% of participants said they would recommend the experience to others and 90% of participants said their placement improved their self-confidence.

The report was issued and discussed at a breakfast meeting held at Linklaters this morning.

PRIME chair and Allen & Overy senior partner David Morley said: "The hard work and commitment of signatories has meant that we have made tremendous progress since PRIME launched last year. We're pleased that the NFER report reflects this but we still have work to do.

"Over 80 law firms are signed up across the UK but we'd like more to join us so we can continue to improve access to work experience for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

PRIME first launched in September 2011 in a bid to increase access to the legal profession for school-age students across the UK from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Yahoo!, Vodafone, Lloyds Banking Group and the Financial Times are among a number of big-name businesses that have also signed up to the social mobility scheme this year, as in-house legal teams get on board the much-touted diversity initiative.

The founding firms are: Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Arthur Cox, Ashurst, Blake Lapthorn, Brodies, Clifford Chance, CMS Cameron McKenna, Dickinson Dees, DLA Piper, Dundas & Wilson, Eversheds, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters, Maclay Murray & Spens, Norton Rose, Pinsent Masons (now merged with founding member McGrigors), Shepherd & Wedderburn, Slaughter and May and Trowers & Hamlins.