Horwich Farrelly announces support of solicitor apprenticeship during NAW 2020

To kick-start National Apprenticeship Week 2020 (NAW 2020) Horwich Farrelly is are pleased to announce our support of the level 7 solicitor apprenticeship scheme, which has been recently offered to seven individuals at Horwich Farrelly.

The six-year initiative is a fantastic opportunity which sees candidates gain a law degree (LLB) and qualify as a solicitor alongside a paid job within the firm. The backing of the level 7 scheme demonstrates the firm’s continued investment in work-based schemes during National Apprenticeship Week 2020, which takes place between 3-9 February.

Horwich Farrelly launched the UK’s first legal apprenticeships in 2013 with a cohort of just five, based at the firm’s Manchester head office. Since then, the scheme has grown exponentially with a total of 64 two-year apprenticeships offered to date, in areas including legal services, HR, marketing and business administration.

As part of our commitment to attracting a diverse range of talent, we further expanded our apprenticeship programme in September 2019 to provide an alternative route to colleagues aspiring to become a qualified solicitor.

Qualify as a solicitor debt-free

The level 7 scheme is a six-year programme that offers candidates the opportunity to gain valuable, real-life experience in paid roles, with structured learning and development. As the scheme is entirely funded through the Government Apprenticeship Levy, candidates will not have any fees to pay on completion of the programme, unlike those completing an LPC which typically costs around £10,000 to study.

What’s more, from September 2020, those embarking on the level 3 route with provider BPP will have the option of completing the level 7 programme in just four years, significantly fast-tracking their legal careers.

Oliver Bate, People Director

Commenting on the level 7 scheme, Oliver Bate, People Director said: “As an award-winning employer in the legal sector we think it’s important to give the next generation a wide range of opportunities in this field. This is why we wanted to commit to offering seven candidates the level 7 scheme, giving individuals the experience of working in different areas of the firm. Nurturing talent has always been a priority for Horwich Farrelly and extending the apprenticeships available is one way of committing to this pledge.”

The theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is ‘Look Beyond’. It seeks to celebrate the diversity and value that apprenticeships bring to employers, apprentices and communities across England today, from highlighting the breadth of industries and roles available to the talent and energy apprentices bring into the workplace.

“The theme of ‘Look Beyond’ fits well with our ethos ever since the launch of our first apprenticeship scheme back in 2013”, continues Oliver. “This theme matches a lot of our other work around attracting a diverse range of talent, such as our successful partnership with charity Pure Innovations, which is another way that we have been able to offer full time employment to individuals who show great skill and dedication. We always look beyond the traditional routes into employment in the legal sector and National Apprenticeship Week is a great way to raise awareness of the opportunities and attract more young talent to our firm.

“Horwich Farrelly has never had a shortage of applications for our apprenticeship schemes and we strive to take on the right person for the role in order to gain the most effective experiences for the candidate, the business and our insurer clients.”

Vaishali Mistry is currently studying the solicitor apprenticeship, having joined Horwich Farrelly as a level 3 apprentice in 2014

Look beyond

Vaishali Mistry, who recently embarked on the level 7 apprenticeship, added “Having joined Horwich Farrelly as a level 3 legal apprentice back in 2014, I’m more than familiar with the benefits of being able to earn while you learn on the job, and the opportunities apprenticeships offer.

“During my time with the firm, I’ve been constantly encouraged to progress my career in law. I spend part of my time helping to train new starters in our 200-strong fraud department, and more recently I’ve been promoted to a hybrid role allowing me to continue working on my own caseload as well as supervising junior members of staff on their own cases.

“When the opportunity to start studying the level 7 apprenticeship came up last September I jumped at the chance. It’s exciting to be part of the firm’s first cohort on the six-year programme, and I cannot wait to qualify as a solicitor completely debt-free.”

To explore apprenticeship opportunities at Horwich Farrelly please visit our Current Vacancies.