Abbey McDowall - National Apprenticeship Week - 6 Feb - 12 Feb 2023

This week is National Apprenticeship Week which runs from 6 February 2023 to 12 February 2023. Some may be familiar with this week when schools, colleges, employers, career advisers and thousands of students come together online to celebrate Apprenticeships. We’re fortunate to have our very own Apprentice, Abbey McDowall, working with us at the moment who has shared her experience of her Apprenticeship so far.

“I started my Apprenticeship with McSherry Halliday in December 2022. Joining the team at this busy time of year meant that I had to settle in and pick things up pretty quickly. My role is to carry out receptionist and administrative duties and I am based at the office at Elliott House in Irvine. As I live in Irvine, this is very convenient for me. I am the first person clients will meet when they attend at the office and I welcome them in when they come for their appointment. My other duties include answering the phones, directing calls, booking clients in for appointments, plus scanning and photocopying documents. I have really enjoyed my first few months in this new role and all the staff have made me feel so welcome! I am learning new things every day and getting used to working in such a busy law firm. It has been great combining practical work in the office along with learning in the classroom through the Apprenticeship scheme.
After leaving school and going to college to study an HNC in sports coaching, I was still unsure what I wanted to do. This Apprenticeship has opened new doors for me. It is a great opportunity and is something I never thought I would be doing. It has been a steep learning curve so far and I have picked up many new skills, gained confidence and learned a lot about how a law firm operates. I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds in my career at McSherry Halliday.”

Alan Hewitt is Head of Life Services at McSherry Halliday and has been supporting Abbey through the Apprenticeship scheme, he adds “We are excited to bring Abbey into the Team via the Apprentice programme. The structure and learning the qualification offers coupled with the experience and knowledge Abbey will gain working in a busy Solicitors office will provide a fantastic launch pad for a career in administrative and clerical support.”

As a firm, we are delighted to support a variety of different routes to qualification and we wish Abbey every success in completing her Apprenticeship programme.