Conveyancing Apprenticeship Success

20 August, 2014

The Government has today announced the success of the Trailblazer consortium of employers facilitated by the CLC

Conveyancing Apprenticeships developed by the group create a new route to becoming a Licensed Conveyancer and establishes the role of Conveyancing Technician.

Work is underway to ensure first apprenticeships can begin in the second quarter of 2015.

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers facilitated a group of employers to develop two new apprenticeships in conveyancing as part of a programme of work led by BIS and DFE. These will become the national standard for conveyancing apprenticeships. They are practical, workplace solutions to education and training needs in the legal sector that enable non-graduate entry to the profession.

Anyone who completes the Licensed Conveyancer apprenticeship will be eligible to apply to be a Licensed Conveyancer. There is also an apprenticeship to a new role of Conveyancing Technician. This role is a response to demand from both employers and those seeking to embark on a legal career. Qualification as a Conveyancing Technician is valuable in its own right, and will be recognized by employers. It can also be a step on the road to becoming a Licensed Conveyancer.

Being employer-led, the new apprenticeships will deliver learners trained to high standards and assessed in a way that provides clear assurance to employers. They will provide learners with relevant and highly attractive qualifications to help them develop an interesting and rewarding specialist career in legal services. It will also improve consumer protection by developing a larger group of qualified and rigorously assessed providers of conveyancing services.

The Consortium is now continuing work on the scheme to ensure that the first apprentices can start no on their journeys in the second quarter of 2015. The Consortium is made up of representatives from the following firms, who all volunteered in response to an open call to take part by the CLC.
Countrywide Conveyancing Services
Convey Law
Conveyancing Direct
Dezrezlegal Ltd
Enact
Total Conveyancing Services
Premier Property Lawyers/ MyHomeMove Ltd.
Specialist Property Lawyers

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.”

“These apprenticeships are an innovative route into rewarding legal careers without the burdens of student debt, and they are not just for school-leavers – those looking to formalize their current legal careers or looking for a career change can all benefits from an apprenticeship approach. There is even government funding available for employers with apprentices on this scheme.”

“Throughout its history, the CLC has been at the forefront of creating different ways of providing opportunities for meaningful careers in this important sector, and we are very excited about the development of these apprenticeships and the new role of Conveyancing Technician.”

“Following the success of the conveyancing apprenticeship development so far we are working with another group of employers as well as the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners to explore the possibility of developing an apprenticeship in probate as part of the next wave of the scheme.”

Skills Minister Nick Boles also commented on the launch of the scheme: “I’m delighted that the Licensed Conveyancers Apprenticeship Consortium has developed two new apprenticeship standards for a Licensed Conveyancer and for a Conveyancing Technician.”

“Since 2010 there have been 1.8 million apprenticeship starts and the Licensed Conveyancers Apprenticeship Consortium 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.”