The various SRA Work Based Learning Pilots in a snapshot
On 10 October 2008, the SRA formally launched its Work Based Learning pilot (or, more accurately, pilots plural):
The 'Firms' Pilot: NOW CLOSED
(Beachcroft, Dickinson Dees, Freeth Cartwright, Hodge Jones & Allen, Jones Day, Leeds City Council)
This pilot is looking, in effect, at how to replace the existing SRA Skills Standards regime with a Work Based Learning regime and does not affect the underlying training contract (all participants are still trainee solicitors on traditional training contracts).
In the summer of 2009, Linklaters and De Marco Hunter dropped out of the pilot.
The SRA has been 'non-prescriptive', allowing the firms and other organisations to develop their own systems and approach to Work Based Learning, including assessment. One of the interesting questions between now and the end of the current pilot is whether the SRA will become more prescriptive going forward once it has had an opportunity to review progress in all the pilot organisations.
Oxford Institute of Legal Practice Pilot [small firms]: NOW CLOSED
OXILP is in charge of conducting a pilot in conjunction with the LawNet group of smaller law firms*. OXILP becomes an "External Assessment Organisation", taking on the role of reviewing trainee progress and liaising with both the trainee and their law firm before assessing the trainees for competence towards the end of the two years. OXILP uses an online document management system to facilitate the collection and organisation of evidence.
[* The firms are: Aldridge Brownlee, IBB, Lamb Brooks, Parrott & Coales, Scott Rees & Co.]
The Northumbria Pilot [WBL within an integrated academic/professional degree]: ONGOING
Northumbria University is testing an innovative 5 year degree course structure:
- a 3 year law degree (including a 3 month placement) in the first 3 years,
- year 4 = student works at Northumbria University's legal advice clinic,
- year 5 = student works in practice, completes their academic and vocational studies and qualifies as a solicitor
There are currently two law firms supporting this pilot, local firm Watson Burton and national firm Irwin Mitchell.
The model is very interesting because...
- No LPC: the SRA has exempted this model from requiring candidates to undertake a formal LPC, with obvious time and cost benefits for both trainees and employers.
- 1 year 'training contract' instead of 2: this again has potentially significant commercial benefits for employers. Work Based Learning permits a two year training/qualification period outside the traditional 2 year training contract model. Here, this is being applied so that year 1 is undertaken at University via the student's work at the legal advice clinic with year 2 based in practice.
For more details, download the Northumbria University FAQs.
Nottingham Law School Pilots
Cohort 1 [full-time paralegals]: NOW CLOSED
NLS is in charge of conducting a pilot in conjunction with organisations (mainly local authorities) employing paralegals. This is the most radical of the three pilots, creating an alternative path to qualification outside the traditional training contract altogether, provided that the employer agrees to support the paralegal throughout the process. The paralegals must evidence the same level of competence against all 37 Work Based Learning outcomes as is required of trainee solicitors on the other pilots.
Cohort 2 [Part-time trainees & paralegals]: ONGOING
NLS is now pursuing a second limb to its pilot - looking at the applicability of WBL to part-time candidates.
To speak to us about any Work Based Learning query or to subscribe to our WBL email updates and keep fully up to speed with developments, please contact us.