National Apprenticeship Week 2026: celebrating our apprentices

This National Apprenticeship Week, Farrer & Co is pleased to announce that six of our apprentices have successfully completed their qualifications and secured permanent roles at the firm.

Congratulations to Zuriel Pedro, Jennifer Biduaya and Faith-Marie Muschette on their appointments as practice assistants across the firm, Larin Ali in Marketing & Business Development, Caitlin Gorman in Knowledge, Learning & Development, and Farahan Jahan in Finance.

We spoke with them about their time at the firm, celebrating their achievements and reflecting on their apprenticeship experience, together with advice for future apprentices.

What was the greatest achievement of your apprenticeship?

Zuriel: Successfully adapting throughout my different seat changes while also balancing the demand of submitting modules on the education side of the apprenticeship.

Jennifer: Taking part in the apprentice panel. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone, requiring me to speak confidently in front of an audience of students. It strengthened my communication abilities and grew more comfortable with networking.

Faith-Marie: Seeing how much I grew in capability of tasks and confidence and reaching the stage where I was trusted to handle tasks independently and actively see how my support positively impacts the team.

Larin: My greatest achievement was completing the apprenticeship from start to finish. It’s a really rewarding feeling to look back and recognise not only the qualification I earned, but also the personal and professional growth that came with it.

Caitlin: The highlight for me was having the chance to work across different areas of our library service and learning how everything fits together. Being able to build experience gradually and see my confidence grow over time meant a lot to me.

Farahan: The skills I've picked up that I wouldn't otherwise. For example, learning how to create financial and general reports from scratch as well as me achieving my diploma in accounting as a bonus.

What was the most challenging aspect of your apprenticeship, and what did it teach you?

Zuriel: Rotating through different teams, having to develop an understanding of not just the work but how certain tasks are conducted and some systems are navigated differently. This provided a good insight into all the practice areas and reinforced that adaptability is crucial for successful integration.

Jennifer: Interacting with a wide range of people was initially challenging for me, but I was able to overcome this by maintaining a positive mindset and fully engaging with each rotation. This approach helped me build confidence, adapt quickly, and communicate more effectively with different teams.

Faith-Marie: Learning how to prioritise tasks and sometimes saying 'no'. Adapting to a new environment where there are new expectations, it's common to feel as if you cannot say 'no' to incoming work. Learning how to overcome this taught me the importance of asking for help, being patient and gaining independence.

Larin: Rotating every four months, where each move meant stepping into a completely new team environment, learning different processes and building rapport with new people, all while keeping up with my ongoing apprenticeship work. The experience taught me how important adaptability is in any professional environment and how change can be a positive thing.

Caitlin: Starting my apprenticeship in a library within a law firm was a completely new environment for me and becoming familiar with the processes that support legal work took time. Working through that taught me to be patient with myself and ask for help when needed.

Farahan: Balancing work, study and personal life, particularly at the beginning. Learning through experience, I developed a sustainable routine that improved my time management and enabled me to meet deadlines during busy periods.

What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship route?

Zuriel: It is a good opportunity due to the combination of practical real-world experience amongst seasoned professionals as well as the opportunity to obtain a qualification is appealing. Confidence is important so present yourself and show your capabilities but be humble and willing to learn and make mistakes as that is part of growth.

Jennifer: Take each day as it comes, stay positive, and make the effort to speak with new people. Stepping outside your comfort zone and trying things you wouldn’t normally do is essential for personal and professional growth.

Faith-Marie: Be open to all feedback and keep asking questions; doing an apprenticeship places you into real working environments where you're picking up skills from colleagues who have been in the industry for a very long time. You're not expected to know everything. Also seize every opportunity to get involved as by the end of the apprenticeship, you'll look back and be amazed by how much you have achieved.

Larin: Stay curious and ask questions. You’re not expected to know everything from day one, and being willing to learn from your team, from your experiences, and even from your mistakes is one of the most valuable qualities you can bring. The combination of learning while gaining practical experience is incredibly rewarding, and the skills and confidence you build along the way will stay with you long after the apprenticeship ends.

Caitlin: I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone considering one. It's a great way to learn in a practical and professional environment whilst working towards a qualification. Ask questions, take opportunities when they come up, and make the most of the support around you.

Farahan: Firstly, I'd like to say that that the apprenticeship route is a great, authentic and fast track way to learn by doing. You gain real first-hand experience, earn as you learn and build confidence – you're essentially getting a head start compared to your other peers. So the only advice I can give is this: as long as you're able to balance your work/study life balance, run towards the opportunity, especially as the apprenticeship route is becoming more and more desirable compared to the traditional routes.

Join us for the journey

The deadline for our 2026 learning & development apprenticeship is Tuesday 24 February 2026 (23.59). This opportunity is open to those without a degree and looking for an alternative to university. Apply here.

The deadline for our 2026 practice assistant apprenticeship is Friday 27 March (23.59). This opportunity is open to those without a degree and looking for an alternative to university. Apply here.

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© Farrer & Co LLP, February 2026