Why Hire an Apprentice? The Top 5 Benefits for Your Firm

You've learned what an apprenticeship is, who it's for, and how it's funded. Now, we get to the most important question: Why should you hire an apprentice?

For a busy legal or conveyancing practice, the decision to take on a trainee can feel like a major commitment. The reality is that the benefits of hiring an apprentice far outweigh the costs. It's not just "hiring a junior"—it's a powerful, long-term talent strategy that delivers a clear return on investment.

Government research shows that 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation, with 78% reporting improved productivity.

Here are the top 5 benefits of apprenticeships for employers in the legal and property sectors.

1. Solve Your Skills Gap and Grow Your Own Talent

This is the number one benefit for specialist fields like conveyancing and probate. Instead of competing in a tight, expensive market for experienced fee earners, you can grow your own.

• Bespoke Training: Your apprentice learns your systems, your culture, and your standards of client care from day one. You mould them into the perfect employee for your firm, free from habits learned elsewhere.
• Targeted Skills: You aren't just hiring a generalist. A conveyancing apprenticeship or probate apprenticeship is designed to build the specific, technical legal knowledge you need to manage caseloads and serve clients.

2. Dramatically Improve Staff Retention and Loyalty

Constant recruitment is disruptive and expensive. The high staff turnover in the legal sector is a major pain point. Apprenticeships are a proven solution.

Investing in an employee's career builds powerful, long-term loyalty. When you take a team member—whether a new starter or an existing paralegal—and put them on a funded pathway to becoming a Licensed Conveyancer, you are giving them a life-changing opportunity.

This investment is repaid with loyalty and commitment, drastically reducing staff turnover. In fact, 69% of employers report that employing apprentices improved staff retention.

3. Boost Productivity and Add Value Immediately

It's a common myth that an apprentice is a net drain on resources. The reality is that apprentices are productive, motivated employees who add value from the start.

• Real Work, Real Contributions: An apprentice isn't just shadowing. They are a real member of staff, doing a real job. They can immediately take on essential administrative and support tasks, freeing up your senior fee earners to focus on complex, high-value work.
• Fresh Perspectives: Apprentices bring new energy, modern IT skills, and fresh ideas to a practice. They are motivated to learn and eager to impress, which can have a positive effect on the entire team.

4. Get a Tangible Return on Your Investment (ROI)

As we covered in our funding guide, apprenticeships are an incredibly cost-effective way to build your team.

• 95-100% Funded Training: With the government paying at least 95% (and often 100% for younger apprentices) of the training costs, your main financial outlay is their salary.
• Reduced NI Contributions: Employers pay zero Class 1 National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25.
• Lower Recruitment Costs: By developing and retaining your own talent, you spend significantly less on recruitment agency fees and the costs of hiring experienced staff.

This all adds up to a high-impact, low-cost talent pipeline that provides a clear and measurable return.

5. Upskill Your Existing Team for the Future

The benefits of apprenticeships aren't just for new hires. This is one of the most powerful and underused aspects of the system.

Do you have a loyal legal secretary, paralegal, or administrator who is capable of more? You can enrol your existing staff onto a legal apprenticeship to formally qualify them.

This allows you to:

• Reward your best staff with a clear, defined career path.
• Retain your most valuable and trusted team members.
• Upskill your team to create your next generation of fee earners from within, securing the future of your practice. to create your next generation of fee earners from within, securing the future of your practice.

Take the Next Step

The benefits are clear: apprenticeships create a loyal, skilled, and productive workforce that is perfectly tailored to your firm's needs.

But what is required from you? The final piece of the puzzle is understanding your role in the process.

• Employer Responsibilities: What’s Required of You?
• Ready to build your team? Explore our specialist Conveyancing Apprenticeships and Probate Apprenticeships.

Ready to start a conversation? Contact our expert advisors today to discuss how an apprentice could fit into your firm.