CILEx apprentices on why they chose an apprenticeship

Two CILEx apprentices have revealed why they decided to take the apprenticeship route.

CILEx, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, works with employers to provide an alternative route into legal careers.

Karen Whyte, who was recently recognised at the CILEx National Award Ceremony for achieving the highest overall grade in the level 6 law and practice exams, wrote in a blog post for the institute that the flexibility of apprenticeships was what attracted her to the route.

She wrote: “Coming into law as a mature student with a family, I needed the option to be able to study flexibly, earn a living whilst studying and also have the ability to study at a speed that would be suited to me.”

“Flexibility was the main want for me when searching. I knew that realistically a university degree course followed by professional studies would not have met the criteria that I was looking for. After searching and looking through the various options, I found that CILEx was perfect for what I was looking for … flexibility!”

Abi Exelby, a chartered legal executive apprentice at North Yorkshire County Council currently working in the education, employment and litigation team, completed her paralegal apprenticeship in 2018.

For her, an apprenticeship offered a alternative to university. She wrote: “After finishing my A-levels, I hadn’t been sure that I definitely wanted to go to university, so took a job as a legal secretary with a local firm. One of the partners was a legal executive so, when I began to look at how I could further my progression, I was already very aware of the CILEx route. CILEx seemed to give me an opportunity to pursue a career in law without first going off to university.”

To find out more about the journeys of Karen and Abi, visit the CILEx blog

Dive Right in, Start Your Apprenticeship Search Now

Or still want to find out a little more first? Read our FAQ’s or visit our guidance section.

Follow our socials for apprenticeship tips and resources:
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER FOR REGULAR UPDATES: SIGN UP HERE