Global Legal Post
The Law Society of England and Wales has called on the government to scrap plans to withdraw public funding for solicitor apprenticeships, warning of their impact on social mobility and the profession’s international competitiveness.
A final decision on funding for level 7 apprenticeships – which include the solicitor apprenticeship scheme – is expected in the coming weeks amid intense lobbying from across the profession in support of the existing funding arrangements.
Law Society of England and Wales president Richard Atkinson warned that the withdrawal of funding “may damage the growth prospects of the legal services sector and have a substantial negative impact on both social mobility and talent development”.
He added: “Maintaining the apprenticeships will not only aid in growing the legal services sector but ensure that England and Wales remain an international jurisdiction of choice.”
