National Apprenticeship Week, meet Cassie

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 takes place this week, from 7-13 February 2022. It brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunity that apprenticeships bring.

At Carpenters Group, we feel passionately about creating opportunities for our people whilst at the same time supporting their development and career paths.

This week we have asked some of our apprentices to talk about their apprenticeship journeys and future career plans and aspirations...

Cassie Hopkins - SQE Apprenticeship

"I have just this week begun my Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship at Carpenters Group with the University of Law. The apprenticeship will follow the new SQE route to qualification and includes one day each week studying, with the rest of the week spent completing the ‘qualifying work experience’ element of my apprenticeship through my role as a manager in the Defence Team.

As this is a fairly new apprenticeship, I have been both nervous and excited to start but everyone within the Defence department and the Development team at Carpenters Group have been really supportive and done all they can to help me to adapt to this new role. I was previously considering studying the SQE or LPC in my spare time in order to qualify, but the apprenticeship structure will allow for a much better work/life balance whilst also gaining hands on experience.

I hope that completing the apprenticeship and qualifying as a solicitor will allow me to gain the further knowledge and experience needed to progress in my career."