Trailblazer Apprenticeships in Law initiative approved

The government has announced that it has approved the standards for apprentices to become chartered legal executives, solicitors or paralegals as meeting the requirements for the Trailblazer Apprenticeships in Law initiative.

Trailblazer Apprenticeships meet the changes required by the government for apprenticeships in all sectors to be eligible for funding by 2017. The Trailblazer Apprenticeships in Law have been produced by professional bodies, regulators, private practice firms and in-house teams.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: "I'm delighted that the legal trailblazer initiative has developed new apprenticeship standards for solicitor, chartered legal executive and paralegal roles. Since 2010 there have been 1.8 million apprenticeship starts and law trailblazers are leading by example in the development and delivery of high quality apprenticeships that give people the chance of successful careers and help businesses get the skills they need to grow."

The standards, which meet ILEX Professional Standards' (IPS) requirements to become a chartered legal executive, now enter the second phase of the consultation which will decide the curriculum and assessment process in line with IPS' specifications. The consultation for the chartered legal executive pathway will be supervised and co-ordinated by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

Vicky Purtill (pictured), head of qualifications at CILEx, commented: "The CILEx Apprenticeships in Legal Services, which were launched in 2013, were the first of their kind and employer participation has already been sector-wide. There is mounting interest in legal apprenticeships and the Trailblazer framework will enhance the profile and scope of this accessible and affordable route into law."

She continued: "The current Apprenticeships in Legal Services will remain as they are until the new framework, which is likely to be launched next year, is in place. CILEx would like to reassure those currently enrolled or due to enrol on a CILEx Apprenticeship in Legal Services that they will not be required to switch to the new scheme when it is introduced."

The Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) chief executive, Paul Philip, welcomed the news: "We are pleased that the government has approved the Trailblazer standards, which means we can now progress to the next stage of development of the apprenticeship. The Trailblazers initiative promotes the aims we are pursuing separately in our Training for Tomorrow agenda to enable more flexible routes to qualification as a solicitor, while retaining robust standards."

Meanwhile, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC ) has helped develop two new apprenticeships in conveyancing as part of a programme of work led by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DFE). These schemes will become the national standard for conveyancing apprenticeships.

The chief executive of the CLC, Sheila Kumar, said: "We are delighted that the excellent work of the consortium has been recognised by government and that the two new apprenticeships in conveyancing will go ahead. With the recovery of the housing market it is important that there is a reliable pipeline of talent entering the profession with rigorous qualifications based on great education and training to the highest standards. The creation of the new qualification of Conveyancing Technician is a response to demand from employers and those developing legal careers."