Lawyers don’t need degrees

**Young people wishing to become lawyers or accountants will not necessarily have to go to university under new government plans.**

The minister for skills, Matthew Hancock has announced plans that will allow people to take apprenticeships which will offer qualifications at the same level as a Master’s degree without the years of study at a university normally required for such an attainment.

Mr Hancock commented: “At the moment, to become qualified as a solicitor, accountant or in insurance, the typical route involves three years at university, then on the job training and professional qualifications.

“But university is not for everyone. There is no reason why you can’t attain the same qualifications, without the degree, starting on the job training in an apprenticeship from day one.”

Student numbers fell by 57,000 in the last year in England and Wales, thought to be largely due to the increase in university tuition fees for 2012’s intake.

The Government has funded £25 million to around 30 employers to provide new qualifications for their apprentices. Amongst these companies are accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and construction company Balfour Beatty.

PwC is developing a Master’s level apprenticeship for a qualification in audit, accountancy or tax according to Mr Hancock. The government is also currently in talks with the BPP Law School over an apprenticeship that will lead to a qualification as a solicitor.

Currently apprentices reach the equivalent level of a foundation degree after four years of experience. The Government’s plans would see apprentices continuing study for up to eight years, which would represent something equivalent to a Master’s degree.

The apprentice scheme will allow some school leavers to work and study at the same time if employers are willing to fund it.

Asked whether the scheme would affect applications to Warwick, the University responded: “At present we really have no idea.”

Accounting and Finance third-year, Natalie Stacey, told the _Boar_: “I think if you are certain that you want to follow a career in accountancy and would like to start work straight away then uni isn’t important and something like an apprenticeship is a good opportunity.

“However, I think uni is a good chance for people to…see if it is something that they would want to pursue in the future.”

From next year, apprenticeships at levels six and seven (Bachelor’s and Master’s level) will be officially recognised for the first time.

Mr Hancock feels that Britain’s economic progress has been slowed by “a lack of respect for learning in the workplace.”

He added: “For decades, Britain has been held back by artificial and counter-productive divisions between practical and academic learning, allowing countries such as Germany to get ahead in the global race for technical excellence.”

However Warwick’s head of communications Peter Dunn, said: “There are only two schemes even being talked about…the government is in talks with the BPP Law School over an apprenticeship that will lead to a qualification as a solicitor and PricewaterhouseCoopers is developing a Master’s-level apprenticeship for a qualification in audit, accountancy or tax.

“We will have to see if they actually happen and if they do they will essentially be pilot programmes and a range of organisations will be watching to see how such pilots work out.”

But Mr Hancock is eager to build on the existing apprenticeships in place. At present there are schemes offerring levels four and five (equivalent to the first year of a degree and a foundation degree respectively).

Mr Hancock commented: “I now want to see more courses that truly match graduate and postgraduate qualifications. To ensure their success and go further, we need more employers to step up to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Richard Moorhead, professor of law and professional ethics at UCL responded to Mr Hancock’s plans. He said in the Guardian: “[This] will not significantly dilute the quality of lawyers, and might even improve it. In particular, it will probably lower wages costs for firms and therefore costs to clients.”

But he warned: “If it was economically rational for [firms] to do it, they would be doing it. The truth is, the largest professional firms rely on universities to filter and sort students as well as to train them.”