Apprenticeships in Legal Services – Target Group Profiles and Cohort Progression Pathways
Age
Apprenticeship level
Profile of Target Group at each level
CILEx Professional qualification
opportunities
(Plus relevant Entry and Exit Points)
20+
19/20
CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher
qualification
Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services
(24/30 months)
Progressing from an Advanced
Apprenticeship in Legal Services
Where the apprentice now wishes to
develop further and higher understanding
of a legal practice area, building on the
foundations of the Advanced
Apprenticeship.
The emphasis is on enhancing and
refining the skill set of an individual
already with experience within a specific
area of legal practice. This would build
into advising on and progressing more
complex matters. Whilst largely still
under supervision, there would be
growing areas of autonomy and
responsibility in the apprentice’s work.
The competence qualification would help
build on their own personal development
and their contribution to the business
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As the Legal Services Knowledge
qualifications are built from units derived
from the CILEx Level 3 Professional
Diploma in Law and Practice (ie
‘common units’), and also offer a series
of agreed exemptions against the Level 3
Professional Diploma, this means the
apprentice has to complete between 4/5
units (dependent on pathway of study) of
the Level 3 Professional Diploma to
complete their Level 3 stage of study.
Where appropriate, this could be done
alongside the apprenticeship programme
itself, or it could be done after the
apprenticeship has been completed by
the learner.
Where the apprentice has already
completed an Advanced Apprenticeship
in Legal Services, the number of
common units/exemptions accrued
through options designed to be of
specific benefit to both apprentice and
employer.
Entry Point
Whilst building on the skill set developed
at Advanced Level, this Higher
Apprenticeship is still potentially an entry
point in its own right. Where apprentices
have experience or are being fasttracked by an employer or where there is
no relevant practice area at Advanced
Level, it may be appropriate to not do the
Advanced Apprenticeship first.
The Level 4 knowledge qualifications can
be undertaken without the apprentice
having done prior study at Level 3 (ie the
Level 4 qualifications contain Level 3
common units and the Level 4 units are
self-contained and do not necessarily
presuppose study at Level 3).
against the Level 3 Professional Diploma
may be higher than the number of units
accrued through achievement of any
single level of apprenticeship. This will
be largely dependent on the learner’s
personal choices through the knowledge
qualification at Level 3.
Where learners are undertaking both
Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships,
providers are requested to consider
carefully the pattern of units studied for
both knowledge qualifications in advance
of study. Careful consideration of the
Level 3 Legal Services knowledge
qualification structure, the Level 4 Legal
Services knowledge qualification
exemption arrangements (available on
the CILEx website) and the document:
‘CILEx Professional qualification
progression routes for learners achieving
the Advanced and Higher
Apprenticeships in Legal Services’
will assist learners with achieving
optimally and economically.
CILEx is happy to assist providers with
planning for unit choices for learners in
this situation.
The learner can move on to the CILEx
Level 6 Professional Higher qualification
after completion of the Higher
Apprenticeship and the relevant Level 3
Professional Diploma units.
2
16/18
Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal
Services (18 months +)
Progressing from an Intermediate
Business Administration Apprenticeship
This is where the apprentice is now
looking to develop their understanding of
that legal practice area and its
associated underpinning law.
The emphasis is on building a rounded,
but relatively narrow, understanding of
legal practice on sound administration
skills to ensure the apprentice can begin
to take on responsibility for more law and
practice related business activity. Whilst
under supervision, this would build into
advising on and progressing
straightforward matters.
The competence qualification focus
would be on the individual’s personal
development within a single business
and practice area.
Exit point
But this is also an exit point in its own
right. Where apprentices are not working
in the areas covered at Level 4, or have
a more generalist trajectory (eg towards
a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer),
then they could bypass the Higher
Apprenticeship, and move straight into
completion of CILEx Level 3 qualification
3
As the Legal Services Knowledge
qualifications are entirely built from units
derived from the CILEx Level 3
Professional Diploma in Law and
Practice (ie ‘common units’) this means
the apprentice has to complete 6 units of
the Level 3 Professional Diploma to
complete their Level 3 stage of study.
Where appropriate, this could be done
alongside the apprenticeship programme
itself, or it could be done after the
apprenticeship has been completed by
the learner.
requirements and CILEx Level 6 study.
16/18
Intermediate Apprenticeship in
Business Administration (Legal
Administration) (minimum of 1 year)
Target Group
Administrators working within a specific
legal practice context; achieving basic
administrative experience, and requiring
a basic understanding of legal
documents, processes etc.
Apprentices not yet taking responsibility
for tasks/activities and having only purely
administrative contact with clients. For
eg, taking information from clients, basic
data inputting, customer service type
roles.
The emphasis is on the development of
basic legal administration skills.
Exit point
Apprentices looking to continue to
develop legal secretarial skills can
choose to opt out of progression at this
point by undertaking Advanced Business
Admin (Legal Admin) and pursuing the
C&G/CILEx Level 3 Legal Secretaries
pathway
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Notes:
1) The age range column shows approximate ages re learner suitability. Obviously, many factors (inc job role, qualification achievements,
personal maturity, career trajectory etc) will determine which apprenticeship the learner takes initially and their progression through the
apprenticeship levels and into CILEx mainstream provision. This document is not intended to advocate any specific mode/pathway of study.
2) The terms: ‘Entry Point’ and ‘Exit Point’ identify the circumstances in which a learner may join a level of apprenticeship (ie ‘Entry Point’) and
withdraw from the apprenticeship pathway into CILEx mainstream provision (ie ‘Exit Point’) or other provision. Whilst the apprenticeship levels
can be understood as providing a progressive pathway for learners, they can also be understood as discrete entry and exit points in their own
right. CILEx believes that the flexibility of this model will assist employers, learners and providers arrive at responsive, relevant and realistic
solutions for business specific training needs.
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