CILEx and centresworking together

Recruit, retain and qualify students

April 2015

Alison HollyerQualifications Account Manager

Objectives

To share information and ideas on how we work together to recruit, retain and qualify CILEx students

To consider how CILEx can continue to support centres to effectively recruit, retain and qualify CILEx students

CILEx Academic stages Level 3 – set/assessed at A level standard Level 6 – set/assessed at honours degree standard Level 3 – 10 units for Diploma Level 6 – 3 law and 1 linked practice and 2 skills units A member must complete both the Level 3 & 6 qualifications plus

qualifying employment and work based learning to become a Fellow of CILEx

Members must complete CPD annually and the scheme has changed

For further information see CILEx Regulation - www.cilexregulation.org.uk

What CILEx and centres can offer students

CILEx’s Level 3 qualifications

Key features 2 main outcomes: Certificate and Diploma Certificate – Unit 1, any 1 Law and a linked Practice, plus

the 2 Professional Skills Diploma – Unit 1, 4 mandatory Law, 3 others (2 of which

must be Practice), plus 2 Professional Skills

The student completes these qualifications from a suite of units

What CILEx and centres can offer our students and employers

QualificationsLevel 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice and Certificate in Law and PracticeLevel 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and PracticeLevel 6 Graduate Fast TrackSingle Subject CertificateLevel 3 & 4 Legal Services Apprenticeships

Features of the Level 3 and 6 qualifications for students and

employersUnitised – units are the building blocks of qualificationsCredit-based – each unit will have a credit value which will be indicative of its sizeMultiple qualification outcomes – e.g. Level 3 Professional qualification (Diploma and Certificate) Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice, Graduate Fast Track and Single Subject Certificate

The Level 3 qualificationMandatory Law units     Non-mandatory Law units   Practice units          Mandatory Professional Skills units

Unit 1Unit 2Unit 3Unit 4Unit 5 Unit 6Unit 7Unit 8 Unit 9Unit 10Unit 11Unit 12Unit 13Unit 14Unit 15Unit 18Unit 19  Unit 16Unit 17

Introduction to Law and PracticeContract LawCriminal LawLand LawLaw of Tort Employment LawFamily LawWills and Succession Civil LitigationConveyancingCriminal LitigationFamily PracticeEmployment PracticeProbate PracticeElderly ClientPractice of Child Care LawResidential and Commercial Leasehold Conveyancing Client Care SkillsLegal Research

Delivery of Level 3 – unit priority No required unit priority Unit 1 underpins the other units – ideally taken towards

the start of the student’s programme Units 16 and 17 again contain knowledge and

understanding that is useful to the delivery of the Law and Practice units – ideally completed alongside the Law and Practice units

Law units and Practice units – beneficial that students are taught the Law unit before the Practice unit

The Level 6 qualification

Professional qualification – three law and one linked practice paper and two professional skills unitsGraduate Fast Track – two practice papers (one must be linked to a law paper) and client care unit

Law Units              Practice Units

Unit 1Unit 2Unit 3Unit 4Unit 5Unit 6Unit 7Unit 8Unit 9Unit 10Unit 11Unit 12Unit 13Unit 14 Unit 15Unit 16Unit 17Unit 18Unit 19Unit 20Unit 21Unit 22Unit 23

Company and Partnership LawContract LawCriminal LawEmployment LawEquity and TrustsEuropean Union LawFamily LawImmigration LawLand LawLandlord and Tenant LawPlanning LawPublic LawLaw of TortWills and Succession Civil LitigationCompany and Partnership PracticeConveyancingCriminal LitigationEmployment PracticeFamily PracticeProbate PracticeClient Care SkillsLegal Research Skills

Other delivery considerations How many variations of the Certificate might you want to

run? – Endorsed pathways?

Do you always want to meet the Certificate rubric during the first year?

Challenges of funding and what minimum student numbers are required to deliver the course ?

When and how are decisions made about which programmes and units will run? Centre-based decision or majority student preference? Meeting and managing student expectations

Who can you recruit ? Existing centre students – A level law students – paralegal

and vocational students e.g. BTEC Nationals Exemption opportunities – Business Studies graduates

with law element New student market – recently qualified law graduates –

Graduate Fast Track – (Legal Services Apprenticeships) – – exemptions

Legal sector and non legal sector employees – local businesses’ need for up-to-date legal knowledge – Niche areas – Employment Practice – Civil Litigation – Contract Law

Benefits for Legal Employers

Train staff while they are in post – new business models – Alternative Business Structures

Client facing staff understand the importance of acting professionally – Client Care units

Realise the fee-earning potential of staff – consider costs of training against charge out fee earning time

Who is the decision maker regarding approved training for the business?

Recruitment opportunities

Existing students on CILEx or other coursesStudents hear about CILEx by word of mouth from existing students or fellow employees or their employer – training manager or principalWho is the decision maker in the firm to support an employee on the CILEx route ?Emphasise to employers the financial benefits of qualifying team members – higher charge out rates which add to the firm’s profitability and number of fee earners. Increase employee retention Careers advice agencies – recent government reviewConsider other financial support for students

How can CILEx and centres recruit successfully? Timescales – Approval of course running – production of Centre

prospectus

Resources - CILEx marketing materials – CILEx Journal – Get into Law – Centre materials – Events – contact with local CILEx Branch, and local careers fairs for school leavers and briefing centre careers advisers

Think creatively – where does CILEx fit in your centre’s provision? Consider linking your marketing activity with other professional courses in centre e.g. CIM or AAT

Local opportunities – partnerships with schools – universities - local employers – Jobcentres – local careers advice agencies - you know your area!

Be proactive; develop personal links and networks

Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

Recruitment for centres What is your student profile - age – gender - ethnicity - employment status-

fees paid by employers ? Full and/or part-time ? How did you recruit your current students? Has recruitment become more difficult recently, and if so, why? What support do you receive from within your centre to recruit? For example

a designated marketing team What is your relationship with careers advice agencies? How do you develop links with local employers and network? Chamber of

Commerce, Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) How can CILEx help you to recruit, retain and qualify students in 2016 ?

Retention Level 3 Year 1 Certificate delivery model Level 3 Year 2 Diploma delivery model Unitised delivery as opposed to continuous delivery Centres looking to help students make a positive start;

units achieved following first sitting in January session Feedback is that a unit model used helps to retain

students Consider your students’ needs and preferences to support

achievement, build up the units and achieve a qualification

Retention Consider different delivery models to meet student needs – assume

September start and part-time provision Complete unit one first and sit in January with a professional skills unit Considerations – streams of provision e.g. Civil Litigation,

Conveyancing and Employment Resources – interesting and innovative teaching – highlight

information on the website for students – current unit specifications, past examination papers, suggested answers

Support for students – “buddy” or mentor system – year 2 students support year 1 students

Student background – in legal employment – full or part-time ? Pair a student working in a legal environment with one who does not

Recruit, retain and qualify students Recruitment

How do you recruit? Do you use social media? What support do you receive? Target market – What is your target market? Will Apprenticeships impact on this? Employers – how do you identify employers and build relationships Has it got more difficult to recruit? What networks do you use – Careers advice agencies, LinkedIn, CILEx branches,

Chamber of Commerce, Local business networks/initiatives, LEPs, Jobcentres, business support units (in house or external)

Retain and Qualify What do you do to retain students ? What do you think is effective ? Any ideas to share ?

Key information to support student retention and qualification

Understanding of key dates and deadlines Understand what units/qualification students are studying

including unit specification and consider previous assessment materials

Content and assessment of the qualification Any reasonable adjustments required or special

consideration after examination Relationship between CILEx, student, centre and, if

appropriate, the employer Unitised range of qualifications provides opportunities to

widen pool of stakeholders

Qualify students Celebrate achievement with student (and if sponsored their

employer) and consider centre event –presentation – press release – CILEx local branch ?

Opportunities with CILEx as a chartered lawyer – regulated person by CILEx Regulation – recognised by peers and employer

Obtain differential membership grade CPD requirements Qualifying employment and work based learning Students become a CILEx ambassador to share their

achievement and support the centre Tell CILEx PR and Comms team of unusual success stories for

use as a case study

Sources of information please regularly visit the CILEx website and read the Legal Executive Journal

Alison Hollyer

Qualifications Account Manager

Any comments or questions ?