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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

I don’t think graduates are eligible for apprenticeships. I believe that the apprenticeship you’re referring to is for people with level 3 qualifications (I.e. no uni degree)
The Civil Service one allows people with previous qualifications as long as they are non law or not achieved recently and qualify you for the graduate apprenticeship. So as I only have a non law degree, I will be learning new material meaning I can do the scheme. I have confirmation from them that I am eligible.
 
If someone has attended an assessment centre at foot Anstey in previous cycles or attended a spring vac scheme with them this cycle, please could you pm me, I’d be super grateful and would be very happy to share insights regarding other firms! :)
 
The Civil Service one allows people with previous qualifications as long as they are non law or not achieved recently and qualify you for the graduate apprenticeship. So as I only have a non law degree, I will be learning new material meaning I can do the scheme. I have confirmation from them that I am eligible.
Interested in everyone's perspective here, but what is the better option here?

context: 25 year old non law grad already working in Civil service.

Option A) 37k solicitor apprenticeship w/ the civil service for 6 years (salary rises throughout reaching roughly 60-70k at the end)

Option B) Traditional TC route which would take at least 4 years to reach NQ (assuming no extra exams taken)
Please provide any insight!!

My main concerns are to do with renumeration and WLB.

I know if I go direct TC i will stick to leaving for the civil service/in house because of the WLB.

A lot of seniors have told me being young and from a low income background it makes more sense to go where I am best paid. Especially as I want to live in London and i have a massive loan debt from SFE.

I think the work wherever you end up is great tbh, and much of the enjoyment will be to do with the culture of your team more anything. But interested in how people tackle the idea of pay when it comes to private v public sector work.
 
Please provide any insight!!

My main concerns are to do with renumeration and WLB.

I know if I go direct TC i will stick to leaving for the civil service/in house because of the WLB.

A lot of seniors have told me being young and from a low income background it makes more sense to go where I am best paid. Especially as I want to live in London and i have a massive loan debt from SFE.

I think the work wherever you end up is great tbh, and much of the enjoyment will be to do with the culture of your team more anything. But interested in how people tackle the idea of pay when it comes to private v public sector work.
I am also from a low income background (I earn good money now), so I’ll give my two cents. When I was looking for my current role, I had multiple offers from the civil service. I ended up choosing my current role at a large bank, even though I found the work less interesting. I haven’t regretted it at all. The opportunities I’ve had since then have been insane, and the money/benefits package is something the public sector could never match. Like you, many seniors have told me to train at the best law firm I can because that gives you more options later. It seems like it’s easier to move from, say, a MC/US/SC/international/large firm into in-house/civil service than the other way round. Of course, this also depends on the type of law you want to qualify into, but that’s the general advice. Organisations like the Civil Service will always be there, but the opportunity to make a life changing amount of money may not be.
 
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BACK AFTER AGES!!!

A long break from the forum as been trying to process this cycle. Finally been rejected from all Vacation Scheme applications for this cycle so my cycle has come to an end with 0 offers. For context I do not come from a privileged background nor did I attend a Russell Group university. Would look for any advice on what to do as the post AC rejection from SPB and another firm hit me a lot.

Application summary (I did have a list of 12 applications when I made my application strategy in August)

Applications made - 30
Applications with tests and no application questions - 14
Post application rejections - 6
Test rejections - 10
Video Interview rejections - 10
AC rejections - 2

I am thinking of the positives about how I have developed this cycle and the experiences I have learned.

Finally the friend or friends I have made on the forum shows how some people are willing to help.

Anyone reading this and has not progressed past the application stage my advice is the applications I reached far I wrote those applications from my heart and did not use any AI tools to draft any of my applications.
 

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