Skills for Justice offers new legal services apprenticeships

Skills for Justice and London Apprenticeship Company (LAC) have announced that they are uniting to create the first legal services apprenticeships in the United Kingdom. Since January, Skills for Justice and the CPS have been developing an advanced paralegal apprenticeship, which would include formal qualifications and training opportunities.

LAC has placed over 600 people in apprenticeships within various specialist sectors and, as of 2013, will be offering additional formal apprenticeships intended for individuals working in paralegal roles. In a statement, LAC Business Development Executive Colin Fredriksen said that he was "delighted to meet with Charles Welsh of Skills for Justice to talk about how LAC would like to be involved in the facilitating of an apprenticeship scheme for Legal Services".

Currently, Skills for Justice offers a package consisting of training and qualifications for paralegals working in criminal prosecution. The intention is that further pathways will be developed as demand is identified. The Skills for Justice website notes that "a likely outcome is a further increase in the number of paralegals delivering higher volume, low cost services" as well as creating "jobs for young people and those new to the sector whilst helping employers increase the diversity and demographics of their workforce".

More information will be available in a speech to be made by Alan Woods, CEO of Skills for Justice, at an event being held by the LAC and Land Securities on 23 May.