Law Society welcomes government’s level 7 apprenticeship funding exemption

The Law Society is among a number of organisations to welcome the government’s decision to “continue funding the level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 16 to 21”, while urging the government to extend this support to cover the funding of level 7 apprenticeships for those over the age of 21.

In response to the planned reforms announced in 2024, City Century, the City of London Law Society, the Law Society, legal training providers and many law firms put forward arguments advocating for this route into the profession and the need for it to be protected thanks to its impact on social mobility in the legal profession.

Chair of the City of London Law Society, Colin Passmore, has described the most recent outcome as “sensible” and “principled”. Meanwhile, Joanna Hughes, who led the lobbying for City Century, took to LinkedIn to thank the government: “The exemption announced today for young people aged 16 to 21 from the level 7 apprenticeships funding cut keeps the door open to one of the most powerful social mobility routes into law, and is an example of how the government is prioritising young people as part of its Youth Guarantee.”