Shadow Counsel General and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has made fresh calls for Level 7 Legal Apprenticeships to be introduced in Wales.
Last month Mr Isherwood asked the Counsel General why Legal Apprenticeships are available in England, but not Wales.
In today’s Spokeperson’s Questions to the Counsel General he raised the issue again, emphasising the benefits of a Level 7 Legal Apprenticeship to the legal sector in Wales.
He said:
“When I questioned you here last month, I asked what engagement you’re having with the Law Society in Wales regarding their calls for both improved data on the Welsh legal sector, and for Wales to match England’s offer of a Level 7 legal apprenticeship. In your reply, you stated that you would be having these discussions.
“In England, Level 7 legal apprenticeships offer an alternative route to becoming a fully-qualified Solicitor, without the need for a traditional university degree. In Wales, however, Level 7 legal apprenticeships are currently not available. Welsh firms are having to compete with higher-paying firms across the border in England, which attract a lot of young talent in Wales.
“Level 7 apprenticeships could help to mitigate our ageing Solicitor population, as recommended in the 2019 Jomati Review commissioned by the then Welsh Government. Their introduction in Wales could, then, also help increase the number of Solicitors in areas where there are currently ‘advice deserts’.
“So, what discussions have you now had, or will you be having with the Law Society and Cabinet Members about introducing Level 7 apprenticeships in Wales?”
In her response, the Counsel General, Julie James MS, said after being questioned by Mr Isherwood on the matter last month, she met with the Law Society and had “a useful discussion about Level 7 Apprenticeships, alongside other training issues for the legal profession in Wales”.
She added: “You may know that the legal profession is just transitioning between the old system and the new Solicitors qualifying examination system, for example, and we’re not yet sure of the impact of that”.
“I'm awaiting a paper from the Law Society, which they're very happy to share with me, I know, on what they consider to be the best way to look at deploying level 7 apprenticeships. I'm also in conversation with my Cabinet colleague on our skills agenda, to see whether there's anything that can be done to make those two programmes come together in some kind of synergy. So, we're very actively working on it. “