Seven questions about solicitor apprenticeship programmes answered
The UK government’s proposal to remove funding for level 7 apprenticeships has sparked uncertainty across the legal sector. With this in mind, BARBRI’s business development director Jon Worrell takes you through what you need to know about the solicitor apprenticeship scheme
1. How does the apprenticeship levy and funding work?
The apprenticeship levy is a tax that every employer with an annual salary bill or more than £3m pays (at a rate of 0.5% of its annual pay bill, with an £15,000 allowance). Companies can then apply for government funding to pay for apprentice training — this applies even to smaller companies beneath the £3m threshold, for whom the government funding will cover 95-100% of the apprentice training costs. If you’re already paying the levy — and even if you aren’t — you’re missing out on free training if you’re not offering apprenticeships.
2. Is funding for the level 7 solicitor apprenticeship changing?
In September 2024, the government suggested it is considering a cut to funding for level 7 apprenticeships, but this month indicated that funding may continue for level 7 apprentices between the ages of 18 and 21. No official announcement has been made yet and there is currently no indication of when it may come into effect.
The good news is that for solicitor apprentices who are currently on a programme, there should be no change. And if solicitor apprentices are enrolled prior to new regulations taking effect, they should be funded all the way through to completion as well. Damar Training and BARBRI have an enrolment window now, closing on 6 June 2025 for the next cohort to start in July — so take advantage of this if you can.
3. What are our current level 7 solicitor apprenticeship options?
Damar Training offers two forms of solicitor apprenticeships, both underpinned by BARBRI’s award-winning SQE prep platform and personal study plan (PSP):
- Shorter solicitor apprenticeship: 18 months + three months end point assessment (EPA)
Damar’s shorter solicitor apprenticeship is 18 months and designed for law graduates, holders of a graduate diploma in law (GDL), those with CILEX level 6, licensed conveyancers and similar.
Applicants must have been employed in a law firm (or in-house) for 30+ hours per week, for at least six months prior to enrolment.
- Longer solicitor apprenticeship: 35 months + three months EPA
The longer apprenticeship is designed for non-law graduates, successful paralegal apprentices, those with CILEX level 3, conveyancing technicians, licensed paralegals and similar.
A single six-year apprenticeship is a big undertaking, particularly for smaller firms and school leavers. That’s why some employers like to break up the journey into more manageable stages — a paralegal apprenticeship first, followed by a shorter solicitor apprenticeship.
So long as they have a big enough skills need, your paralegals can use the solicitor apprenticeship as a progression route to solicitor. Better still, they can take a shorter apprenticeship and qualify in two to three years.
4. Do apprentices need a full day a week out of the office?
Developing knowledge and skills takes time and solicitor apprentices will need, on average, the equivalent of a full working day per week (sometimes slightly more) to learn. However, it doesn’t need to be a solid full day — it might be two half-days, or you could even split the hours over three days. You can decide what works best for your firm — you’ll need to manage expectations of managers from day one, but it can be done.
5. Are there any additional requirements?
All apprenticeships include wider learning in areas, such as British values, safeguarding and equality and diversity. However, these are all handled by the apprenticeship provider and not onerous on the employer.
6. How can solicitor apprenticeships benefit your firm?
A solicitor apprentice is a great investment for your law firm or legal team, as they can undertake research, draft correspondence and provide expert legal advice. According to a study, each apprentice’s contribution adds between £2,500 and £18,000 net per year during their training period. And after the training is completed and productivity ramps up, the net benefit increases.
In terms of talent development, apprenticeships offer a structured framework for qualifying work experience (QWE) that allows apprentices to build and apply learning across various legal tasks. Offering apprenticeships to existing employees allows you to shape their skills to benefit your firm’s specific needs. It also promotes employee satisfaction and retention: The Law Society quotes a recent study which found that 61% of apprentices remained employed with the same firm after five years, compared to 56% of university graduates.
Lastly, apprenticeships help you to recruit talent from a wider talent pool and increase workforce diversity by attracting talented individuals who can bring different skills and approaches that complement the traditional qualifying route.
7. Are solicitor apprenticeships only suitable for private practice?
In-house legal teams, public sector employers and social enterprises all benefit from offering solicitor apprenticeships, combined with the flexible SQE requirements of QWE.
If you want to take advantage of the funding window, Damar Training is currently taking applications for the next solicitor apprenticeship cohort, which starts in July 2025.
There is high demand for this intake so if you are interested, please don’t delay! Enrolment deadline is 6 June so get in touch and BARBRI’s team can talk through the options to get you and your team prepared.
