Our stories
Diversity programme makes a difference in legal recruitment
How our partnership with social enterprise Aspiring Solicitors has contributed to social mobility and opened doors for those looking to start a career in law.
Setting the scene
An affiliation with social enterprise Aspiring Solicitors has seen us make an important step in contributing to social mobility while boosting diversity throughout our legal business.
How we helped
In the past year, our offices across the UK have hosted around 20 events with Aspiring Solicitors, helping young people from groups underrepresented in the legal profession to learn valuable skills and obtain legal vacation scheme placements and training contracts.
More than 1,000 people have attended events, including those aimed at promoting wider legal careers and alternative professional services roles. Thirty volunteers from our legal business also act as Professional Ambassadors, providing mentoring and support.
“Limited social mobility is particularly stark in certain professions. Access to opportunities and achieving a legal training contract at a firm like PwC can change someone’s life. People’s backgrounds should not be a barrier to professional advancement and success; we want them to aim high, so we have a five point action plan to help drive change on social mobility across the country.
The sharp increase in the number of graduate applicants means we have a much bigger group of diverse candidates from which we can hire. With almost half of our new trainee lawyers coming through the Aspiring Solicitors scheme it’s clear that positive targeted action can result in meaningful change.”
Making a difference
This year our legal practice has awarded almost half of its trainee places to members of Aspiring Solicitors. We will now sponsor the new recruits through law school, followed by a two-year trainee programme in the business.
We have also seen a marked increase in the number of graduates applying for their Legal Summer Vacation Scheme, which we believe is down to the exposure gained through the partnership.
In total this year, females accounted for 55% of the hires in our legal business of graduates, school leavers and recruits from our Early Identification programme while 38% were BAME candidates.