Training Contracts in England

As a trainee, you can join us in London, Manchester or Newcastle. Wherever you join us, as well as exceptional training across your of seats, we’ll support your development in a number of ways. We want to help you thrive so you can enjoy a long and successful career with us. 

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CURRENT ROUTE TO QUALIFICATION

Under the existing regime, you’ll need to undertake the Legal Practice Course (LPC), which supplements the core legal training.


Our trainees start the LPC in September, completing a 9-month LPC MSc in Law, Business and Management. All of our LPC students will complete a compulsory Insurance elective, while the other two electives are chosen by you – with our guidance so that you can convert what you have studied into a seat during your training contract.

SQE

The route to qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales is changing. On 1 September 2021 the SRA introduced the ‘SQE’ (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) which is a new compulsory assessment which will replace the current route to qualification. The SQE provides a real opportunity for us to reimagine and reframe how training and development is delivered for our Early Careers populations and for us to provide more innovative and tailored training programmes to suit our business. We are continuing to work through our approach to the SQE, ensuring that we continue to provide a high quality training programme to support our future talent and the firms broader diversity and inclusion agenda.

Our current proposal is to transition all of our prospective 2024 cohort to the SQE route, whether you are a law or non-law student. We are continuing to collaborate with the University of Law and are currently working through finalising our transition plans/SQE Model. Please look out for further updates in due course. We would also recommend visiting the SRA website for more details on the transition period – SRA | Transitional arrangements | Solicitors Regulation Authority



As it currently stands, anyone due to join us in 2022 or 2023 will follow the existing training contract model and LPC route. Financial support will be provided under both routes. If you have any specific queries please contact the Early Careers team to discuss - graduate.recruitment@clydeco.com.

During Your Training

We’ll make sure you have plenty of support before your training begins – you can look forward to one-to-one sessions with our early careers team covering things like your career preferences; workshops, presentations and training sessions at our offices; an LPC mentoring programme and social events.

The Professional Skills Course (PSC) will form the foundation of your professional development as you move forward with your career. It’s supported by various legal, technical and business-focused sessions. In addition to this, you’ll have access to MyDevelopment – an online training resource to support you with your personal and professional development. We also have an extensive training library which will help you to succeed within your role, fulfil your potential and progress your career

We are continuing to work through our approach to the SQE, ensuring that we continue to provide a high quality training programme to support our future talent and the firms broader diversity and inclusion agenda.

Our current proposal is to transition all of our prospective 2024 cohort to the SQE route, whether you are a law or non-law student. We are continuing to collaborate with the University of Law and are currently working through finalising our transition plans/SQE Model. Please look out for further updates in due course. We would also recommend visiting the SRA website for more details on the transition period – SRA | Transitional arrangements | Solicitors Regulation Authority 

These one-to-one meetings with the early careers team are an opportunity for you to engage with us to shape your training programme and future career path. You’ll be able to discuss your goals and future expectations, tell us about your achievements, tap into our expertise and decide upon your future objectives and development needs.

You’ll be allocated a mentor from one of our newly qualified lawyers, enabling you to get peer-to-peer support and guidance from someone who’s completed the training contract before you.

We know that from time to time our trainees may have things going on outside of work. Our early careers team is always on hand to confidentially help you deal any issues that might adversely impact your work performance, health and well-being.

Trainees complete mid-seat appraisals and end of seat appraisals every three months. The purpose of these reviews is to assess the trainee’s overall performance, the development of their skills, identify areas of strength and weakness and agree future objectives and training needs for the next three months. 

Fresh Unity is an online system used by trainees to complete their training contract record and keep track of their skills and experiences in each seat. Supervisors have access to this and sign off their trainees' entries on a regular basis.

Trainee salaries and grants

London and Guildford

  • Year 1: £42,000
  • Year 2: £44,500
  • Newly Qualified: £80,000
  • Maintenance grant for GDL and LPC (if you study in London): £8,000

Manchester

  • Year 1: £28,000
  • Year 2: £30,500
  • Newly Qualified: Competitive
  • Maintenance grant for LPC and GDL: £7,000

Newcastle

  • Year 1 £24,000
  • Year 2: £26,500
  • Newly Qualified: Competitive
  • Maintenance grant for LPC and GDL: £7,000

Bristol

  • Year 1: £35,000
  • Year 2: £37,500
  • Newly qualified: Competitive

BENEFITS

We want you to feel recognised and rewarded for your contribution, so we offer a range of rewards and benefits:

Private medical and dental insurance, including health checks

Pension scheme

Group income protection

Maternity and paternity pay

Holiday purchase

Season ticket loan

Cycle to work scheme

Gym subsidy

First-hand experience

Regardless of your experience so far, our training contract provides first-hand exposure to our market leading teams and global practice groups

APPLY TODAY

If you’ve liked what you’re read and seen about us so far, it’s time to take the next step and make your application.