South Wales law firm JCP Solicitors has opened its doors to the next generation of legal professionals by welcoming its new cohort of Legal Apprentices for 2024, with the firm reporting the scheme offers a direct boost to diversity and inclusion.
JCP Solicitors has undertaken the Legal Apprenticeship scheme for the second year running, adding four new starters to the legal training programme this September.
Ruby Shadrach, Caitlin Shell, Isabella Killeen-Lott, and Kenza Maaroufi join the business at the firm’s Swansea headquarters, taking on roles as apprentices within the Lifetime Planning, Residential Conveyancing and Business Support teams.
The four new apprentices will be enrolled onto the legal apprenticeship scheme which offers a pathway to different levels of legal qualification within four to eight years.
Jacqui Gower, Director and COO at JCP Solicitors, said:
“We have always seen apprenticeships as a vital part of our recruitment strategy in the business. We have been appointing business administration apprenticeships for years, and we are delighted that the legal apprenticeship scheme continues to be made available in Wales.
“We see more diverse applicants coming into the business through legal apprenticeships compared with graduate law training schemes, and we believe that a successful business needs diversity to be stronger and more resilient. For us, apprenticeships are a respected way of finding new talent and training up our solicitors of the future.
Jacqui explained the firm views its legal apprentices ‘on par with our graduate trainees’ and encourages those considering a legal apprenticeship to research the options available. She added:
“It is a fantastic way to qualify without having university debt or moving away from home. As an Apprentice you can earn a wage while you qualify, gaining on-the-job training and giving you valuable work experience from day one.”
Following completing the full legal training programme, the apprentices can become fully qualified solicitors or CILEX lawyers with options to end their training at any time during the programme to qualify as Legal Assistants or Legal Advisors. The scheme is increasingly popular, leading to The Law Society Wales office to put pressure on the Welsh Government to increase Legal Apprenticeships in Wales from Level 5 to Level 7 – on a par with the schemes in England. This campaign is due to launch imminently.
Banner image L-R: Kenza Maaroufi, Caitlin Shell, Ruby Shadrach, Isabella Killeen-Lott.
