Work experience at law firm is open to all
Conscious of the hurdles to entering its profession a county law firm has been approaching schools offering work experience to all, and there are just days left to apply for this year's placements.
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“They are really very good” is how one careers advisor summed up the approach of a Cheltenham law firm that has forged a relationship with her school and others to make it clear its work experience and potentially a job at the business is for all students.
Raikes was asking just how valuable it is for professional services firms to reach out to the next generation of talent, especially when their venerated profession looks every bit an intimidating beast to a 14 or 15 years old year 10 student.
The quote above is from Rebecca Mar-Gerrison, careers administrator at Cheltenham Bourneside School, talking about law firm Willans’ LLP solicitors, which has been quietly conducting a proactive approach to give young people the confidence to apply for work experience at its firm - regardless of school or background.
It is currently going public for the first time about the opportunities at its firm because time is running out to apply for this year’s work experience weeks.
Mar-Gerrison said: “Our students find work experience really beneficial. We offer it to our year 10 and year 12 students. For our year 10 students it can be their first experience of the work place.
“It is really good for them; really good for their communication skills and they learn a lot just getting face-to-face with other adults.
“Getting inside a firm like this gives them something to aspire to. If they can get in the door, and see what it is like and talk to the staff, and see themselves doing that job - it can be inspirational.”
Hayley Ainsworth, Willans, said the firm’s approach was motivated by a number of factors – not least an acknowledgement that its profession could be seen as out of bounds for some young people
“This is a fantastic opportunity for a young person who thinks they don’t fit the usual mould of a lawyer or is worried that their circumstances might hold them back.
“This scheme is designed to break down the invisible barriers that stop young people from exploring a career in the sector and give opportunity to those who may not otherwise have it.”
She added: “The whole sector has changed in the last couple of years. People now look outside of London and the bigger cities because they realise the quality of service is there – and that’s what they want first.
“We want the best people to ensure we provide that service for our clients, and we see real benefit in bringing people in from different backgrounds who bring a wealth and different experiences to help us achieve that.
“We are a really big believer in bringing people in at a junior level, and if they have the potential we will see them through the programme.
“We had one student come in who has now gone off to University and we are still in contact with them. It allows us to scope some really good local talent.”
Managing Partner, Bridget Redmond said: “Giving back to our community is very much at our heart, so we look forward to welcoming the successful students to our offices and helping them take the first step on their career journey.”
Applications for Willans students scheme are open until Friday 22 March. Willans suggests downloading this application form here and once completed, handing it into your school for submission.
* Everything you read on Raikes is made possible by the generous support of our partners (we’ve already let you know about QuoLux and more will be revealed over the coming weeks) our founding members and our paid-up subscribers. A massive ‘thank you’ to all our other subscribers too. The support of all of you is invaluable!
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