Sheffield City Council to hire five apprentices in its legal team

The legal department at Sheffield City Council is to take on apprentices for the first time.

The five successful applicants will be paid £200 a week andbe trained to become fully trained paralegals. Candidates will need to have three A levels at Grade C or above.

Steve Eccleston, Assistant Director for Sheffield City Council’s Legal Services, said: “This is a great opportunity for those embarking on a career in law to earn while they learn. As apprentices they will undertake on the job learning here at the council across a broad range of areas which is different to anything they would get via any other training route.

“They will receive really high quality training via a distance learning course provided by the Charted Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). This is gold standard, industry wide recognised training and will set them up really well for whatever direction their future career takes them.

“We want to hear from those who have got their A Levels but maybe don’t want to go on to university but do want to start on a career path. This chance would also be ideal for A level students who have just missed getting their chosen place at university as well. Please do come forward and apply.”

Other opportunities are to become available in a range of services in coming months, the council said, including council housing and customer services.

Sheffield City Council Leader Cllr Julie Dore said: “We made a commitment two months ago to train the next generation of Sheffield leaders by offering some great opportunities here at the council and I am delighted that this is now coming to fruition.

“And what better way to kick-start this recruitment drive than by offering apprenticeships at the very top of what we do. Becoming a lawyer can often be a difficult and expensive career path, but this chance should help those who need it most to get on the ladder towards success.

“Training school-leavers as paralegals is not only a superb opportunity for individuals but also plays a vital part in delivering legal services for the council."

Details on the paralegal apprenticeship scheme can be found here.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday September 2 with successful applicants in place by October.