Last month the Department for Business Innovation and Skills published guidance for its Trailblazer apprenticeship in law scheme, which will offer an alternative route into the profession for apprentices who will be able to qualify as chartered legal executives, solicitors or paralegals.

But even before the scheme comes into effect next year, a number of firms have already blazed a trail in this area, with many firms recruiting school leavers as legal apprentices with the aspiration that they will qualify as either legal executives or, more rarely, solicitors within the firm.

Those to have already taken on apprentices include Kennedys, Shoosmiths, Withers and Addleshaw Goddard, where resourcing manager, Gun Judge, has also been heavily involved in the Trailblazers initiative. Alongside firms including Dentons, Addleshaws has already committed to taking on solicitor apprentices under the new government scheme when it launches.

Mayer Brown, meanwhile, has already taken on its first solicitor apprentices, hiring two onto a separate scheme run by the University of Law.

Here we speak to some of the firms committing to increasing access to the profession in this way about their motivation for doing so.

We also interviewed apprentices at Withers and Mayer Brown to find out their reasons for eschewing the university route.

The schemes

Mayer Brown has recruited two apprentices as part of a six-year articled apprentice programme, run in tandem with the University of Law.

The apprentices work within the firm, as well as working towards a bachelor of law degree (LLB), a Professional Skills Course (PSC) and their Legal Practice Course (LPC). They receive a salary of £18,000 but take out a loan to pay for their four year part-time LLB (£4,500 p/a).

Danielle White, Mayer Brown's graduate recruitment and development manager, says: "For us it was around the access point, widening the pool of candidates we have at the firm."

She adds: "It's part of our diversity piece, ensuring we are giving access and widening the pool from which we recruit."

Withers has taken a different approach. It recruited its first legal apprentice last year and recruited a further two last month. All three are working and studying towards a Cilex level 3 advanced apprenticeship in legal services.

Jaya Louvre, Withers recruitment manager, says: "We wanted to access talent at a younger age who are unable to go to university, and to provide an alternative for them. We find people are planning to go to university, but then think 'I could save £20,000′. We thought we were missing out on a section of talent that we could tap in to."

The Withers scheme, run in association with Cilex, will not result in its graduates becoming solicitors, though it could well encourage them to do so at a later point.

Louvre (pictured right) says: "When we introduced our apprenticeship scheme Trailblazers was still in the planning stage, but we still wanted to encourage apprentices to apply. We wanted to get ahead of the curve and quite a lot of firms have now picked it up. That's why we worked with Cilex to start off with, and we will then transfer apprentices onto the Trailblazer scheme."

Although the recommended minimum entry requirements for the Trailblazer scheme are set quite low, at five GCSEs at grade C and above and three A-Levels at grade C and above, it is clear that firms that have already started recruiting apprentices are looking for high calibre candidates.

To apply for Mayer Brown's scheme candidates need a minimum of AAB at A-Level, results that would get you into the type of university that leading law firms typically recruit from.

When recruiting its two apprentices, Mayer Brown had an assessment day for six candidates, three of whom had places at universities. The firm recruited two of the candidates but has kept in contact with those who were initially unsuccessful.

White says: "There were six we had for an assessment day, then three we took to final interview. Of the six, we are trying to keep in contact with all of them and potentially recruit those guys further down the line."

Future

The Trailblazer scheme will launch next September and it remains to be seen what take up will be and whether firms running existing apprenticeship schemes will transfer across to the new standard.

White (pictured right) comments: "Our plan is to continue with an apprenticeship programme, we will continue to recruit as it stands but we will look at the trailblazer programme and look to see if it's something to do in addition or transfer over to."

Other firms that contributed to the trailblazer standards have also expressed an interest in using apprentices as part of their recruitment mix.

Jo Wilson, HR manager of diversity and recruitment at Dentons, says: "At the moment, we anticipate that the process would operate alongside our trainee scheme."

Burges Salmon chief people officer Robert Halton adds: "We have been actively involved in the development of the legal apprenticeship standards and we are considering how we integrate the route into our resourcing model."

At the moment the success of the apprenticeship scheme is still very much in the balance. Firms need to ensure it does not lead to a two-tier system, with those who enter as apprentices looked down upon by those qualifying through traditional means.

Just as important will be ensuring that take up is significant enough to make an impact. Here they can look to their professional services peers the accountants for advice, with recruitment into that profession transformed by large apprenticeship schemes at several leading firms.

Alan Woods, director of apprenticeships and vocational education at the University of Law, is optimistic about the future of apprentices in the legal profession. "In the next 15 years or so the apprenticeship route will be as much a normal route into practice as going through a more traditional route such as going to university," he predicts.

Apprentices have their say

Rosie Ahmadi – Mayer Brown
Age: 20
Education: Southgate Secondary School
A-Levels: Maths, Economics, Chemistry
Pay: £18,000

Initially recruited as a level three business and administration apprentice in Mayer Brown's learning and development team. In September she started the six year articled apprentice scheme at the firm.

Reasons for becoming an apprentice:
"During my A-Levels I was thinking about what I wanted to do next. I spoke to people around me especially my father, who is an accountant, and he told me that in his career he has learnt more from experience then from theory. There is more to be gained by experience in real cases and clients rather than studying hypotheticals, that was an influence to apply for apprenticeships after A-levels rather than going to university."

"The way I explain why I didn't go down the traditional university route is to imagine if you were trying to learn how to swim: studying the theory side of things is good, but the most effective way is to have the book in front of you and be in the water, so when it says paddle your legs, you understand what it means and you can feel the weight of the water."

"Apprenticeships weren't a big thing, everyone was going to university or not doing anything at that time. It was more of an effort to try and find something and you had to be really proactive, now getting into it is a lot easier."

Day-to-day
"The first one and a half years are spent in the support services side, so nine months in business intake and conflicts, nine months in the legal information centre. Afterwards we move into the practice areas, with seat rotations like a training contract.

"Alongside working 09:30 – 5:30, we are required to study 25 hours per week, averaging out at three hours per weekday and five hours a day at the weekend."

Alex Hirsh – Withers
Age: 19
Education: Bushey Meads School
A-levels: English, Law, History.
Pay: £17,000

One year into two-year NVQ Level three advanced apprenticeship in legal services programme. Hopes to complete the level four programme and ultimately become a solicitor. 

Reasons for becoming an apprentice
"I had considered the university route and I had an offer to go. However, when I thought about it, it wasn't something I had much passion to do. I wanted to start working but remain in an educational environment, so doing the apprenticeship seemed perfect."

"My impression is that university is right for some people. Some want to do it and others do not. I do not feel I am missing out on a social life and have made a lot of new friends since leaving school. Friends at university are very supportive of me – they sometimes say it would be nice to earn some money too!"

Day-to-day
"My work is similar to that which a paralegal or a trainee might do. Working in a non-contentious practice group (commercial) involves a lot of research; correspondence and document drafting; and business development work, all of which fee earners at Withers do a lot of. The role is really very varied."

"I receive a half-a-day every week to study towards the apprenticeship. A lot of the study involves preparing statements about how I did a task on the job. I also have exams, the first of which I did in June 2015. I have started to study for the next exam which will be in January 2016."

Future
"The Level three apprenticeship takes two years to complete. Everything being well, I will stay on and take the Level four apprenticeship. The Trailblazer scheme was only finalised a few weeks ago and no one knows exactly how it will go, but that route looks very positive."