Record number of conveyancers trained by Conveyancing Academy during lockdown

A record number of conveyancers have been trained in the last 18 months, despite the challenges of the Pandemic and extended lockdowns, according to the award-winning Conveyancing Academy.

Nearly 400 staff from 148 legal practices and property companies across the UK have undertaken the Academy’s industry-recognised courses since March 2020, said James Smith, Business Development Manager at the Academy, which is the official training provider of the Society of Licensed Conveyancers and the Conveyancing Association.

James said:

“More businesses than ever from across the legal and property sectors have enrolled their staff in our training programmes in spite of the unprecedented challenges and the sheer pace of the last year and a half when they have been dealing with the Stamp Duty Land Tax Holiday, working from home and a surging property market.

“I think it shows that despite everything businesses have been going through, they are still investing in thorough training to ensure their conveyancing staff are the best they possibly can be now and moving forwards and provide exemplary service to consumers.

“During a time when the sector has experienced exponential growth, it is a great sign that training has not taken a back seat and it bodes well for the future of the industry as talent is still being nurtured and developed.”

The Conveyancing Academy is the only specialist conveyancing academy in the UK and has trained hundreds of students since it was established in 2014 as an online training and apprenticeship provider.

It works with many leading conveyancing legal practices nationwide, helping them to develop their staff and to build their business.

Its Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC)-accredited courses are unique to the industry.

They enable companies to train staff without any previous experience to become fully qualified Conveyancers within 3-4 years, or train Conveyancers with previous experience to a higher level.

James Smith explained The Conveyancing Academy Practising Conveyancer Legal Diploma teaches the skills novices need to become a proficient conveyancer within 6 to 12 months and the Academy’s CLC Level 4 and CLC Level 6 courses develop staff and enable them to achieve qualification as Licensed Conveyancers.

James continued:

“The courses are structured to give legal practices and property companies the ability to recruit and train young professionals quickly and to a high standard. Their quality was recognised when we became the official training partner of the SLC and the Conveyancing Association and we are very proud of that.

“Because we deliver specialist course materials online, this has clearly helped greatly during the pandemic lockdowns as it has allowed many companies to train new staff prior to their employment start date.

“The online system also made it possible to help many legal practices and property companies to train their staff and follow our training pathway and protocols.”

Convey Law is one company of many which has achieved record growth during the last year by continuing to recruit and train staff using the Conveyancing Academy courses.

Managing Director Lloyd Davies said the company was on course for a 200-strong workforce by the first time by the end of 2021.

Lloyd said:

“We have used the Academy’s training courses to facilitate our successful Trainee Conveyancer Apprenticeship Scheme which means we have been able to recruit from a wider pool to include complete novices with potential, both graduates and non-graduates.

“This scheme has enabled us to win two major awards this year – a national conveyancing training award and the Welsh Government and National Training Federation for Wales Best Medium Employer award at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021.”  

Conveyancer Christian Petersen, 26, joined Convey Law this year after working in a different area of law following his legal training. He is currently undertaking the Academy’s Level 3 course.

Christian said:

“I started with Convey Law after nearly three years ‘stuck’ in personal injury. This change has certainly been for the better. I graduated with a Law degree and thereafter my Diploma in Legal Practice from Swansea University. Whilst I had very little practical experience within the field of conveyancing, this has not stunted my progress through the Academy to date.

“During my first couple of months, I have learnt so much. The online Conveyancing Training Academy is accessible to all and provides an effortless portal through every step of the conveyancing process.

“Teamwork is a key aspect of the Academy and whilst we all have own goals to achieve to progress, no-one is ever left behind. Help is always at hand or at the touch a button. I will most certainly being progressing through to Levels 4 and 6 and then onward to a fully licensed conveyancer.”

The Academy’s specialist courses have also been recognised by major Government funding bodies with funding awarded to provide the courses free of charge to conveyancing staff and businesses.

In England, courses are 95% Government-funded for all non-Levy paying businesses (those with an annual wage bill of less than £3 million).

In Wales, the Academy has a limited funding partnership with Cardiff and Vale College supported by the Welsh Government to offer its courses free of charge to legal practices in Wales with around 10 spaces a month currently available in the 2021-2022 academic year.

For further information about courses and training please contact James Smith at the Conveyancing Academy on [email protected] 01633 261295. 

Kindly shared by Convey Law