Routes Through the Profession: the Part-Time-Study Training Contract
updated on 03 May 2005
Why should you read this article?
There are several routes to qualification. The full-time training contract (FT TC) is taken after your LPC and involves two years of full-time work with a training establishment such as a law firm. While the FT TC is the most common form of training contract, it is not necessarily the most appropriate choice for students who are studying part-time. Other options are also available. These are the part-time-study training contract (PTS TC), part-time training contract (PT TC) and the modular training contract (MTC).
In a PTS TC, a student combines part-time study with full-time work, half of which can be counted towards the two years required to complete a training contract. In contrast, the PT TC is intended for those who have already completed their LPC and wish to start a training contract, but only on a part-time basis. It involves working a minimum of two and a half days per week for up to four years. Finally, the MTC can be combined with any of the above. It is intended for two or more firms/organisations that cannot on their own provide the right balance of work required for a training contract. Trainees swap between the different organisations to undertake work that would not normally be available at their sponsoring organisation.
This article is going to focus on the PTS TC, looking at what it is, how it works and where to find out more.
What is a part-time-study training contract?
The PTS TC normally lasts between three and four years, with the trainee working full-time at the same time as studying part-time. You can combine this training contract with the last two years of a part-time qualifying law degree, a part-time/distance learning GDL and/or a part-time LPC. Based on research conducted by The College of Law in December 2004, most of its students with PTS TCs started their contracts at the same time as their LPC, although some started their contract at the start of their GDL. The key feature of this option is that any time spent in a PTS TC is counted as half time (ie, the two years of a part-time LPC only count as one year of the total training period).
The key advantage of the PTS TC is the opportunity to apply what you are learning as you go along. As one student says, "being 'on the job' has really helped my development and ties in with the content of the LPC". Other benefits include:
- a quicker route to qualification compared with completing a TC after the LPC;
- the ability to 'earn while you learn'; and
- access to legal research tools, IT facilities and qualified colleagues at work while you are studying.
On the downside, the key disadvantage is the pressure of juggling full-time work with part-time study. Other issues to consider are more time spent training in the workplace, limited knowledge at the start of your contract (compared with someone who has already completed their LPC) and less frequent seat changes.
How are part-time-study training contracts arranged?
Based on the college's 2004 research, the majority of college students with a PTS TC arranged their contract while they were working for their employer. Typical roles held by students included paralegal, legal assistant and legal clerk. A few students made the transition from a PA or legal secretarial role, while some students managed to change their role more radically (eg, a local authority employee working in the community safety section of a district council switching to the legal department).
Experiences vary as to how the issue was raised with employers but the majority of students with PTS TCs covered by the college's research suggested the option of a PTS TC themselves, with only 20% responding to an employer's suggestion. The length of time that students had been working for their employer before they approached them about a PTS TC also varied. One student had only worked for three months before applying, while another effectively waited several years before a vacancy arose.
What are the normal terms and conditions?
The level of help offered by firms/employers to trainees in PTS TCs will vary. There may be study leave, extra days off before and/or after study weekends, leave for revision and, of course, for the exams themselves. Some firms may provide additional support in terms of managing workloads around exam periods, giving informal help and advice with study and, perhaps more importantly, providing emotional support to keep trainees motivated. The only stipulation in the Law Society's guidance is that trainees are paid the minimum salary for a trainee throughout the time of their contract. The college's research shows that study leave is widely available to students with PTS TCs and some also receive financial support (in addition to their salary) for fees and travel.
What is the next step?
If you think this may be a viable route for you, you should start the process as soon as possible for two main reasons. First, any time spent working within a PTS TC while studying for the GDL/LPC is only counted as half-time (see Training trainee solicitors – the Law Society requirements). Second, if you have significant legal experience gained outside of a training contract, your training establishment (usually a firm), is only allowed to grant up to a six-month reduction in the length of your contract. Like the treatment of time spent working within a PTS TC, any time spent working prior to a training contract is only counted as half-time (see Training trainee solicitors – guidelines for recognising previous experience (time to count)).
Kay Pearson is a careers consultant at The College of Law.
