Accutrainee

It’s an innovative model. Client organisations pay for trainees only when and where they’re needed, avoiding the regulatory and recruitment costs of a traditional 24-month training contract. Trainees, in turn, gain access to organisations that don’t otherwise offer the traditional route. Founded in 2011 by former Hogan Lovells banking and finance associate Susan Cooper, the company took on its first trainee a year later and ensures all Solicitors Regulation Authority training requirements are met throughout. Applications are open year-round, with interviews arranged once a month. So how does the Accutrainee experience actually shape up?

One obvious question is whether having a training provider separate from the place of work creates difficulties. According to participants, not really. As one explained: “The disconnect between my seconding organisation and training provider probably doesn’t make this as easy as in a large firm putting numerous trainees through the same formulaic training, but I nonetheless feel well supported by both.” Many recruits highlighted the variety their unusual training contract affords, with one proclaiming: “Accutrainee offers a training contract that is not available anywhere else.” Another described the experience as “flexible and tailored to trainees’ interests and preferred areas without neglecting areas of improvement.”

Trainees are well looked after on both fronts. Central training is provided by Accutrainee, while dedicated mentors monitor the training delivered by seconding organisations. “Both the seconding organisations and Accutrainee are very dedicated and supportive in ensuring we have a complete and well-rounded training,” one lawyer explains. Formal sessions are supplemented by speaker visits and a specialised learning and development programme designed to keep recruits current with industry trends. The atmosphere at host firms is reported to be equally welcoming, with one source noting: “My peers at my seconding firm have been instrumental in helping me settle down and get off to a really good start.”

Superiors are rated as friendly and supportive. One trainee described what to expect from senior staff as “constructive remarks, on-the-spot evaluation, always prepared to listen and always willing to help.” Another offered a more detailed account: “Accutrainee offers extremely experienced mentoring. My mentor is ex-Magic Circle and gives me the best advice by reviewing my portfolio as well as meeting with me whenever I face a big career decision. She has taken a direct interest in helping me find the best NQ position. Accutrainee also has an amazing HR team who are always there when we need them.”

Support comes from multiple directions, with rookies benefiting from regular mentor meetings and career coaches at their secondment companies, alongside their dedicated Accutrainee mentor and senior team. “Nothing is too much and they actually care about well-being and your development,” one source notes, adding that “Accutrainee is big on feedback and they actually listen to what you have to say, which creates a fantastic culture.” Others point to the benefits of a relatively small organisation, where “you know all your superiors really well. They are happy to call and see how you’re doing on a casual basis, as well as scheduling more structured meetings to review your progression.”

Despite being physically spread across different workplaces, fellow Accutrainees are described as “very supportive”, and recruits speak warmly of the “double layer of support” they receive from both their Accutrainee peers and their work placement colleagues. The organisation also hosts socials for current recruits, though these are currently limited to London.

On the work itself, insiders feel they can make a genuine impact. “As Accutrainee’s model operates from businesses and firms requiring additional personnel, we trainees are provided with incredible opportunities to get involved in a major way with projects and other work,” one explains. The quality and variety of work naturally depends on the secondment, and even this alternative pathway won’t spare you from the admin tasks that trainees everywhere endure. “Some work is more stimulating and some less stimulating, but overall I would say I am very happy with the work I have been given so far,” was a representative verdict. Another offered a more specific picture: “I deal with commercial, employment, corporate, and intellectual property matters, so it is incredibly varied, with both contentious and non-contentious elements.”

Work-life balance is another area where Accutrainees feel they hold an edge. “I believe my work-life balance is significantly better than the average trainee completing a traditional training contract,” said one. That said, others acknowledge the added responsibility of maintaining a portfolio outside office hours. In practice, experience varies depending on the seconding organisation, but “fair and reasonable” were the phrases most commonly used by respondents. “Almost always I have had a good work-life balance. There have been occasions where I have worked late, but that is a known fact of the job. My supervisors have always been keen to watch my workload and ensure that my personal life is not too encroached upon by work,” one source reported.

Accutrainee’s HQ is based in Canary Wharf, occupying a corner office in a towering building with what insiders describe as a “start-up-like feeling.” One recruit praised the “good social spaces and a lovely roof terrace which is amazing in the summer months.” That said, the training offices are not where you’ll spend the majority of your time, and the day-to-day environment will largely depend on your secondment. Many clients are based in and around London, though placements are available across the country, from Leeds and Liverpool to Leatherhead.

On the technology front, Accutrainee provides a dedicated web-based trainee portfolio, now available as a mobile app that trainees describe as “amazing” for logging progress. However, one trainee noted room for improvement, suggesting “a contracts database would be good, along with access to tools such as Practical Law or LexisNexis.” As ever, the quality of tech at seconding organisations will vary.

Perks are one area with potential for growth, as trainee secondees don’t always enjoy the same benefits as direct employees of the host organisation. That said, one source mentioned a gym subscription of up to £150 per month, while others spoke enthusiastically about “pastries”, “away days and opportunities to focus on mental health and wellbeing”, and “fairly generous social events.” One rookie lawyer reflected that “the only but extremely valuable perk is the monthly mentor meetings.” The real draw, however, and arguably Accutrainee’s greatest selling point, is the opportunity to build a bespoke training programme, accumulating a portfolio of SRA-approved experience across workplaces that would otherwise be entirely out of reach.