National Apprenticeship Week – Foot Anstey highlights its apprentices

Apprenticeships have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many more favouring work-place learning. As apprenticeship learning gains traction in the region, we wanted to highlight some of the great apprentices for National Apprenticeship Week.

There are plenty of apprenticeships on offer from dental nursing to construction, apprenticeships are increasingly perceived to be good way to start a successful career.

We caught-up with some of our Foot Anstey LLP apprentices to ask about our apprenticeship schemes and what they mean to the firm.

Mark Gray, Professional Development Manager at Foot Anstey, said: "We support a range of different apprenticeships including legal, administration and specialist apprenticeships, such as Marketing. Our apprentices' learning is accelerated by putting their new skills and knowledge into action in their day-to-day roles. By the end of the apprenticeship, they have the skills they need to be successful in a modern workplace. 

"Being able to offer such a breadth of apprenticeships in areas across the South West is so important, not just for legal careers, but for all support functions as well. We have seen a rise in apprenticeship applications over the past few years and are pleased to play our part in nurture talent both in the firm and the region.

We have seen a rise in apprenticeship applications over the past few years and are pleased to play our part in nurture talent both in the firm and the region.

"Also, we've had the opportunity to support charities with unspent levy funds, and we recently worked with Bristol-based Empire Fighting Chance to fund a 13-month Fundraising Apprenticeship Course for one its apprentices."

Ciaran McLean, Marketing and Business Development Apprentice at Foot Anstey, joined the firm in late 2021 and has become an integral part of the team.

When asked why he chose to undertake an apprenticeship at Foot Anstey, Ciaran said: "An apprenticeship combines education and real-world experience very well, meaning that I get a well-rounded view of the career I want to go into without needing to undertake a University Degree. I applied for the role at Foot Anstey due to the diversity of the role – I can work across multiple disciplines meaning that I am getting valuable experience in lots of different areas allowing me to find out where I excel most and what I most enjoy.

"Foot Anstey stood out to me from the start of my application through a combination of the firm's values and the way in which I was treated throughout my application process. I felt that the firm's emphasis on collaboration and entrepreneurship aligned firmly with my own values, which is important to me.

"I have been at the firm for around five months and have learnt so much already. I have been exposed to a variety of real-life situations and it has been incredibly rewarding to work with so many talented individuals at the firm. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is looking for hands-on experience whilst developing their skills. Nowadays there are so many amazing apprenticeships on offer in the Bristol area, when I first started looking, I was surprised by the sheer amount of jobs on offer." 

Amber Booth recently completed her apprenticeship at the firm and is now working in a full-time role with the firm as a Junior Legal Support Assistant.

She commented: "I would recommend an apprenticeship because it enables you to gain valuable knowledge and experience simultaneously. At Foot Anstey I had support from my college assessor and colleagues that helped me complete my apprenticeship. By the end of an apprenticeship you gain not only an NVQ but you have also become a skilled and reliable part of a team.

"At Foot Anstey, there are always training opportunities and chances to further your career. Once I completed my apprenticeship, I had the choice of a job role or three other apprenticeships within law. The future is completely open as to how you want to tailor your career. The future for me, is to become a fully-fledged Legal Support Assistant."