BBK quoted in Parliament as we campaign against legal apprenticeships funding cuts
At BBK we have been lobbying against the Government’s plans to scrap funding for the level 7 apprenticeships. We believe it will have a detrimental impact on the legal sector, especially on the work being done to improve social mobility.
What are level 7 apprenticeships?
The level 7 (Higher or Professional) apprenticeships were launched in 2016 to create a qualification path for graduates. The apprentice spends 80% of their time working for their employer and the other 20% working towards their legal apprenticeship. This allows apprentices to earn as they train and means they do not have to pay for their training.
By comparison, the ‘traditional’ route into law could cost up to £80,000, this includes the cost of an undergraduate degree which according to the National Student Money Survey is about £67,494 and the cost of the SQE (Solicitor Qualifying Exams) and course. This cost acts as a real barrier to entering the legal profession, so apprenticeships are incredibly important to address the lack of diversity and social mobility in the legal sector.
Social mobility in the law
Social mobility in law is highlighted in recent research from the Solicitors Regulation Authority which found:
- 21% of lawyers attended a fee-paying school, compared to just 7.5% of people nationally.
- Almost 60% of lawyers come from a professional socio-economic background, this means they came from families who were in modern or traditional professional occupations.
Our apprentices at BBK have also shared with us their views on the scheme and how important they felt it was.
“It made all of the difference. I do not believe I would currently be working towards qualifying as a solicitor today if not for the apprenticeship route.”
“I chose the apprenticeship route because without the level 7 apprenticeship I wouldn’t have been able to pursue a career in law. Coming from a low-income household, I wouldn’t have been able to fund the SQE exams or the prep course without the apprenticeship route.”
The apprenticeship route has made a real impact on social mobility in the law. A report by Damar found that:
- 94% of the apprentices questioned had attended state school.
- A third came from working class backgrounds.
- 90% of the apprentices worked outside London.
- 70% of employers were in-house or public sector teams or smaller law firms with annual payrolls of less than £3m.
What has BBK been doing?
The Government said it will make its decision on apprenticeship funding in spring 2025. Unfortunately, at this stage it is still sticking with its plan to scrap funding. However, we have been campaigning to reinforce to the Government why this funding is so important.
BBK raised the issue with shadow education ministers leading to Neil O’Brien MP, Shadow Minister for Education quoting BBK in the House of Commons during a debate on the institute for apprenticeships and technical education.
We also raised this issue directly with the Government’s Skills Minister, Baroness Jacqui Smith, during an All Party Parliamentary Group meeting on apprenticeships at the end of last year.
Rhicha Kapila, our COO, has written in the press about the impact scrapping the funding will have in the legal sector: Alarm over threat to remove funding from solicitor apprenticeship – Legal Futures
We also recently responded to the Education Committee’s consultation on skills, focusing on what the proposed cuts to the Level 7 funding will do to the legal sector.
Finally, in March we met with Labour MP Rachel Blake, whose constituency covers the Barbican in London, where our office is. Two of our apprentices joined that meeting and we used it as an opportunity to highlight the importance of this scheme. We do hope Rachel Blake will take this issue forward with the Government.
We will continue to raise this issue with politicians in any avenue that we can. We do hope the Government will reconsider its position and recognise the importance of this scheme and the funding they provide.
