Survey on legal apprenticeship pathways in Wales launched today

Students, solicitors and paralegals are being urged to take part in a survey on bringing solicitor apprenticeships to Wales to match a qualification on offer in England.

A Level 7 legal apprenticeship is a six-year degree-level program in England that prepares individuals to become solicitors.

An online questionnaire launched by the Law Society Wales today (October 29) has been devised to collect data about whether there is support for a level 7 solicitor apprenticeship in Wales.

The independent professional body says there is a strong belief that a legal apprenticeship equivalent to England is a Welsh Government policy decision that is vital to the transformation and sustainability of the legal sector in Wales.

Research

Open until 29th January 2025, the survey will make up a comprehensive research piece looking into the views of both students and the legal sector on educational pathways.

It has been launched in collaboration with University of Wales Trinity St David’s and will gather data from school and college students, university law students, paralegals, newly qualified solicitors and firm owners.

Funding

Jonathan Davies, Head of Wales for The Law Society, said: “Feedback from our member-led paper Reimagining Justice in Wales 2030 explicitly told us that recruitment and retention was an issue in Welsh law firms.

“In fact, we found several cases of firms moving their offices just across the border and Welsh students moving to England, in order to access the Level 7 Legal apprenticeship funding offered to English students.”

Bronwen Williams, Academic Director at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, said: “Both anecdotally, and through the uptake numbers in England, we know that the demand for a Level 7 legal apprenticeship is there.

“However, this survey data will provide a comprehensive idea on the views from students starting to think about their career, right up to the firm owners who are eager to invest in new talent.”