Lawyers and accountants need not have degrees, says minister

By Conal Urquhart and agencies. Accountancy and legal firms join £25m trial of plan offering apprenticeships.
The government has announced plans to allow school leavers to become lawyers and accountants without first gaining degrees. Matthew Hancock, the minister for skills, said he wanted to expand the apprenticeship scheme to offer qualifications at the same level as a master's degree without years of university study.
"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," he wrote in an article in the Daily Telegraph. "So I want apprenticeships spanning craft, technical and professional jobs that open up work-based routes to the top."
The government has funded around 30 employers, including the accountancy firm PwC and construction company Balfour Beatty, with £25m to provide new qualifications for their apprentices. Read more...