Profession trains together

Solicitors, barristers and legal executives have buried their differences to launch a consultation process into setting up a National Training Organisation (NTO) for the legal advice sector.

'It will be a new departure.

All of us are going to have do so some swallowing of pride,' said Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) secretary general, Diane Burleigh.

The Law Society, Bar Council and ILEX have formed a core steering group to look into putting forward a bid for NTO status.

All those employing lawyers and para-legals, and groups such as the Advice Services Alliance and the Government Legal Service, are being rallied.

More than 90% of the UK workforce is covered by NTOs, which are the government's preferred strategic leadership groups to advise on skills and qualifications needs for employment sectors.

The initiatives are employer-led and aim to predict future needs in areas of training, such as IT and client awareness.

Ms Burleigh said: 'We are very keen to have an NTO because we think it will be the best mechanism for ensuring we keep up to date and at the forefront of government policy, in a much more straightforward way.'

The Law Society's representative on the steering committee, Helen Davies, said: 'An NTO will only work if the employers support it.

From the Law Society's point of view, it's an opportunity to get away from treating training as a regulatory issue.'

Anne Mizzi