North West firms sign up to Manchester apprenticeship scheme

Several firms have signed up to Manchester Law School's new Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services programme, which will allow over 100 school leavers to enter the legal profession.

Manchester Law School (part of Manchester Metropolitan University) is to provide the new legal apprenticeships in partnership with CILEx Law School. A number of regional and national firms in the North West have signed on to train the new apprentices, including Weightmans, Pannone and Hill Dickinson. Each firm will receive full funding from the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to train school leavers under the age of 19.

The new scheme is also predicted to be seen as a model of flexible, on-the-job training, the improvement of which was a central recommendation in the recent Legal Education and Training Review. 

Micáel Barden, head of Manchester Law School, said: "The idea is to take bright college-leavers with good A levels and train them to the required standard to perform everyday legal services. This is quite revolutionary because within months of beginning their training, these young professionals will be fee-earning for their firms."