National Apprenticeship week is an annual week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the UK to shine a light on the positive influence that apprenticeships make to the wider economy, businesses and individuals. To celebrate this year, we want to shine a light on the apprenticeship opportunities offered at Ashfords, and our current apprentices.
At Ashfords, we understand that committing to a long-term career straight from school or college can be daunting. This is why we offer multiple apprenticeships across legal and business support areas to kick start your career! Apprenticeships are an exciting option for anyone wanting to gain work experience, upskill themselves or change their careers because they offer the chance to earn a wage while you work and study.
Paris Prout, previously a business administration apprentice and now a paralegal apprentice at Ashfords, shared that she really benefitted from the work-based learning opportunities offered through her apprenticeship experiences. “I joined Ashfords back in 2022 and began by completing the business administration apprenticeship. This was a great start to kick off my career as it enabled me to gain lots of valuable work experience alongside studying at a young age. Fast forward to now, I am working towards completing my paralegal apprenticeship. The paralegal apprenticeship is definitely a step up from the business administration apprenticeship however if I can do it, then so can you! As someone who found learning tricky in a 'school' environment, this is a great option for gaining firsthand experience alongside leading individuals."
"Without Ashfords' support and encouragement, I wouldn't have thought an apprenticeship was even an option for me," said Amy Nicholson, who recently completed a marketing executive apprenticeship. "I previously completed my degree in journalism a few years ago and joined Ashfords wanting to gain more experience within marketing. Through my apprenticeship, I was able to learn from my team every day, as well as learn the theory behind everything in the classes themselves. My apprenticeship built my confidence and strategic thinking skills, and gave me the opportunity to work on projects I wouldn't have under usual circumstances. I now have a much better understanding of what I want in my career, and that's all thanks to Ashfords."
At a time when student loan interest grows faster than borrowers can repay it, apprenticeships are a great option to avoid the 30-40 year commitment of loan repayment. Marcus Hodson, previously a paralegal apprentice and a current paralegal at Ashfords, highlighted the importance of avoiding student debt. “The paralegal apprenticeship that Ashfords provide is a great alternative for those not looking at the traditional university route. I feel as if being able to work alongside my studies has been the best way for me to progress both professionally and academically. I have been able to gain hands on experience all while earning a living and avoiding all the debt.”
Ashfords also offers solicitor apprenticeships to internal candidates. Beth Stevens, trainee solicitor, commented that her experience on the solicitor apprenticeship was incredibly rewarding. "The combination of academic study and hands-on, real world experience has developed my legal knowledge whilst enabling me to strengthen the soft skills which are essential in practice: from communication and collaboration to resilience and confidence. The ability to learn from and work alongside colleagues who are experts in their field has been invaluable in my journey to qualification as a solicitor. Whilst balancing academic study alongside working can be demanding, I would recommend the apprenticeship route to anyone considering a career in law."
We're committed to building our apprenticeship programmes both internally and externally. If you're interested in pursuing an apprenticeship with Ashfords, applications will open in March 2026. For more information about the apprenticeships we offer, contact our talent attraction team.
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