The Longer Term Impact of PRIME on Participating Students: First Interim Report
11 February 2016
Improving access to the professions is key to promoting social mobility. Launched in September 2011, PRIME is a commitment to ensure fair and equal access to quality work experience in the legal profession for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. NFER is undertaking a robust and independent evaluation of PRIME and has published two reports on its first and second year.
This report provides interim findings from a follow-up study, examining the destinations and career choices of students who took part in the first two years. A total of 213 PRIME participants responded to a survey (26 per cent of those who supplied contact details) and 20 took part in a telephone interview.
Key Findings
- Firms have been successful in helping young people to learn about the legal profession. Ninety-two per cent of the survey respondents felt that the work experience had helped them either a little or a lot. Interviewees said the main benefits were learning about the legal profession and the different aspects of law.
- Young people said their work experience had helped them to understand the relevance of university as a route to a professional career in the legal sector.
- Interviewees said PRIME helped them to develop transferable skills such as communication, team building, networking, and giving presentations.
- However, 67 per cent of survey respondents said they had not had any further contact with the law firms since their work experience. The report recommends that firms identify simple, low-cost methods of keeping in touch with young people who have taken part in PRIME.
Additional information
longer term impact of PRIME on participating studentsRelated Titles
longer term impact of PRIME on participating students , longer term impact of PRIME on participating students , Evaluation of the first year of PRIME , Evaluation of the Second Year of PRIME