Contributors
I am the apprentice supervisor in the residential team at Womble Bond Dickinson. We have had an apprentice within the team for approximately six years, and over this time, we have all experienced first-hand the qualities they bring to the department. In this article, I've outlined some of the keys benefits that we have seen whilst having an apprentice on board:
More time to train and mentor new solicitors
An apprentice will be with a team for an initial four-year period before undertaking their seat rotations. These first four years gives both the apprentice and the team a much longer time for training and building confidence within the department - building them up to more complex tasks. The apprentice also gets to really know and become part of the team due to the extended time they have together.
The chance to develop home-grown talent
Recruiting talented solicitors can be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Having an apprentice within the team means that there is a good stream of talent coming through the firm to further the junior resource available within the firm. There is also the added benefit of the apprentice being familiar with the team and the firm when they reach qualification - so they're ready to go from the start.
Increases enthusiasm and morale within the team
In my experience, apprentices always come into the team with so much enthusiasm to learn, develop and help out their new colleagues. It is great to mentor people that are so enthusiastic and eager to learn. This enthusiasm is always very contagious within the team, acting as a great boost to morale amongst their colleagues.
For more information about the solicitor apprenticeship programme at WBD, click here.
