Going to university isn’t right for every student. If you are leaving school and know that university isn’t the right path for you, an apprenticeship may give you the right balance of structured learning with on-the-job training. We offer apprenticeships across Gateley enabling our apprentices to develop a whole range of skills and to grow as individuals.
Business support apprenticeships
Whether you join us in IT, Marketing, HR, Accounts, Finance or one of our legal secretarial teams, you will gain hands-on business experience which will prepare you for a career in your chosen area. 80% of your apprenticeship will involve working with one of our specialist business support teams and 20% undertaking off-the-job study and training. We will provide you with a dedicated Apprentice Rep who will support you throughout apprenticeship journey and you’ll get to know our other Gateley apprentices during a range of learning and development sessions we will organise for you.
Towards the end of your apprenticeship, we talk to you about what’s next – that could mean offering you a permanent role at Gateley or progression onto another apprenticeship.
Legal apprenticeships
Apply for our two-year Paralegal Apprenticeship, you could be one of our partners of the future. Our two-year Paralegal Apprenticeship is a programme of blended learning and hands-on legal work for ambitious school/college leavers seeking a career in the law. This apprenticeship is aimed at bright candidates who have completed their A-Levels but would prefer a more practical route to gaining the qualifications and skills to becoming a solicitor.
As a Paralegal Apprentice, you will join one of our fee-earning legal teams working alongside market recognised experts whilst studying key foundational principles of law and practising skills such as legal research and drafting. Depending on the practice area you join, you will also have the opportunity to choose modules that reflect the work you are undertaking in practice. You will be assigned an Apprentice Rep who will support you throughout your apprenticeship journey, you’ll get to know your fellow apprentices during a range of learning and development sessions we will organise for you.
Towards the end of your Paralegal Apprenticeship, we’ll talk to you about what’s next – you may go on to do our five-year Solicitor Apprenticeship programme or start a permanent role as a fully qualified Paralegal.
Life as an apprentice
We know, that for many of our apprentices, working at Gateley will be their first experience of working in an office. There are lots of new situations to navigate and different skills to be acquired. The Gateley Apprentice Development Programme is here to help.
We have put together a comprehensive skills acquisition programme that will give our apprentices the tools they need to kickstart their apprenticeships with confidence and to support the development of the skills needed to become trusted members of their teams.
Course titles include:
- Working in a legal business
- Personal impact
- Time management
- Telephone skills and participating in meetings
- Writing skills
- Professional standards
- Client care
A day in the life of a legal apprentice
Which team did you undertake your apprenticeship with?
In September 2017 I was privileged to become one of Gateley Legal’s first ever Apprentices. I was welcomed into the Residential Development Unit (“RDU”) as a Paralegal Apprentice in the Birmingham office. My Apprenticeship was structured into a two-year journey where I worked in a professional role in RDU alongside studying at BPP University. During my two years, I rotated within RDU to gain as much experience as possible. During my first year I worked within the Plots team and in my second year I moved over to the Infrastructure team. Following successful completion of my Paralegal Apprenticeship, in September 2019 I was honoured to become Gateley Legal’s first ever Solicitor Apprentice. I have just begun my second year of my new Solicitor Apprenticeship and I have remained within the Infrastructure team in RDU.
What did you learn whilst undertaking your apprenticeship?
Choosing an Apprenticeship has enabled me to study at University, whilst simultaneously working and learning the fundamental skills required to be a successful legal professional in practice. Once a week I attend University, where I am currently studying for my LLB Honours degree in Legal Practice. Going to University as part of my Apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to read for a degree, which is something I may not have been able to do otherwise. My University course is apprenticeship specific and is therefore tailored to provide me with the legal knowledge and support I need to work efficiently within my department. Whilst University provides me with my education on the study of Law, working as an Apprentice in a professional role allows me to demonstrate what I have learnt at University and use it in practice at work. Another advantage of working and learning simultaneously has been the ability to pick up professional skills in the workplace. For example: confidently communicating with clients and colleagues, participating in meetings, organising my own workload and being trusted with responsibility.
How to apply
- CV: Apply for one of our vacancies by uploading your CV and telling us a bit about yourself.
- Telephone interview: We’ll review applications and if you are successful, invite you to attend a telephone interview with a member of our HR team.
- In-person interview and assessment: If you do well in your telephone interview, we’ll invite you to one of our offices where you’ll also do a short assessment.
- Feedback: We’ll let you know the outcome as soon as possible and if you haven’t been successful, we’ll provide you with feedback on your application and interview.
What are the entry requirements?
Our entry requirements vary according to the programme to which you are applying.
For our Paralegal Apprenticeship, you should have at least five GCSEs graded 9-4 or equivalent, and at least three A-Levels graded A*-C or equivalent.
For our business support apprenticeships, we will set out the requirements in the job description, they will vary according to the programme you apply for.
Can I apply at any age?
Yes, we welcome apprenticeship applications from people of any age. You just need to meet our entry requirements.
Thinking of a career in law?
Our ‘Introduction to M&A law’ programme with Forage is a great place to start.
In this programme, you will learn all about mergers and acquisitions and assist our team with a hypothetical transaction, applying critical thinking and commercial awareness to achieve the required outcome. After completing the task, you will be able to compare your work to our team’s model solution.