National Apprenticeship Week 2018
This year marks the 11th National Apprenticeship Week (NAW 2018) and Forsters are proud to be part of this fantastic initiative. In September last year, the firm introduced its very first Apprenticeship Scheme. We welcomed Sadia Latif, Kai Spink, Kabir Sidhu and Melissa Hickman to the Forsters family and since joining us, they have proved themselves to be bright and ambitious.
Through our Apprenticeship Scheme we are able to offer our apprentices the opportunity to start working and earn a wage, learn key skills and gain the qualifications that they will need for a successful career in law, in addition to providing a friendly and encouraging environment for them to develop their identity.
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week we wanted to share a few words from our apprentices.
We asked them why they chose Forsters:
"I picked Forsters because of its supportive nature, it is a great place to develop and learn, as well as a happy environment to work in. Kabir Sidhu, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
“I joined Forsters because I enjoyed getting to know some of the Forsters team during the interview day.” Kai Spink, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
"Forsters has a social and friendly environment which makes coming to work enjoyable." Melissa Hickman, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
"I chose Forsters as the firm has a good reputation & specialised in many different areas of practice which showed the diversity of the firm itself." Sadia Latif, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
We asked them what they felt were the benefits of being on an apprenticeship scheme:
"Joining Forsters has given me the chance to get the best of both worlds with studying and hands-on training. The opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in all areas is something truly exciting to get involved with. The Forsters apprenticeship scheme provides an array of opportunities, teaching us not only about our role in our department but the firm as a whole." Kabir Sidhu, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
"I chose the apprenticeship route because I wanted to gain valuable work experience, as well as a qualification that will help accelerate my future career progression" Melissa Hickman, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
"I chose an apprenticeship over the traditional University route because I wanted to get a head start in my career; an apprenticeship was the perfect option. I am able to learn and get experience at the same time, enabling me to get the real feel of what it is like working in a law firm." Sadia Latif, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
“One of the benefits of joining an apprenticeship for me is that I learn much better in a working environment as opposed to sitting in a classroom.” – Kai Spink, Forsters Apprentice Scheme 2018
Forsters Legal Apprentices
We offer our apprentices the opportunity to develop a successful legal career without wishing to attend university and equipping them with the skills needed to work in a legal environment.
Our apprentices have both on-the-job training and classroom-based training. They are given a position within one of the legal teams (commercial real estate, residential property or dispute resolution) and work alongside our lawyers to carry out legal research, drafting and other important client tasks. By attending regular seminars and using other learning resources that cover areas such as technical legal practice, ethics, professionalism and judgment, time management, workload, and working with other people – our apprentices are equipped with the skills they need to achieve Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship after 2-years.
At Forsters we welcome diversity and believe our employees are what makes the firm so special. Just recently we welcomed a work experience candidate from Centrepoint (the UK's leading charity for young people between 16-25 years old who are homeless). He spent time in our Corporate, BD & Marketing, Dispute Resolution and Residential Property departments and was able to meet with associates who have entered their law career through less-traditional routes. Our apprenticeship scheme is just one small step towards making a career in law, and a career at Forsters more accessible, inclusive and diverse. Click here to find out more about our Apprentice Scheme.
National Apprenticeship Week
The campaign runs from the 5 to 9 March 2018 for more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/national-apprenticeship-week-2018-naw-2018