Page 18 - Prime - Marking Ten Years

Our Impact: Virtual Work Experience
It may be years before we fully understand the long- term implications of COVID-19 for schools, the economy,
job market, university admissions and apprenticeships, but we already know that the repercussions for the most socio-economically
disadvantaged young people are likely to be significant and long lasting. Sadly, for many the attainment gap will have increased still further.
Despite these challenges, PRIME was encouraged to see our member firms pulling together to support as many students as possible.
At the start of the pandemic, those firms that would have usually been hosting students as part of the Sutton Trust’s Pathways to Law programme instead delivered the programme virtually and collectively to a large group of students. From there, we were able to share best practice and to our members to learn from each other. It was inspiring to hear that so many member firms were willing to support each other with their work experience offerings by sharing their insights and learnings, with the collective goal of continuing to support disadvantaged students and to lessen the impact of Covid-19 on them.
We can think of no better example of the collaborative and charitable spirit that PRIME represents. We know that our law firm members want to do the right thing to enhance social mobility and that they are willing to put competition aside to support each other in doing so.
While some attention has been diverted as the result of the pandemic, the need to advance social mobility remains a pressing one and we would encourage all firms to ensure that these students are not forgotten. Many PRIME candidates have the potential to be the stars of the future and they do not deserve to be left behind because of circumstances over which they have no control. We now know, from our last 10 years of experience, that if we give these students the opportunity to succeed, they will.
“The learning lost as a result of school closures will have a lasting impact, especially on the UK’s most disadvantaged students.”
Ella Blakesley, Social Impact Manager at member firm Ashurst LLP
COVID-19 turned PRIME work experience, like so many things, on its head. Students who would ordinarily have been able to visit our member firms for a week of inspiring
and motivating work experience suddenly had this opportunity taken away. This was potentially even more devastating at a time when COVID-19 was impacting students from
socially mobile backgrounds in a myriad of negative ways.