DICKINSON Dees has become the first law firm in the region to launch an initiative which gives access to quality work experience for young people from less privileged backgrounds.

Prime is being supported by the law societies of England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in addition to The Sutton Trust, which improves educational opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As a member of Prime, Dickinson Dees will provide work experience to give an insight into the range of careers available in the legal profession, both for lawyers and non-lawyers, and the potential routes into those careers.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of The Sutton Trust, said: “We know that non-privileged young people have great difficulty in getting work placements that give them that vital first experience of the professions. I’m pleased to see that Prime identifies and supports these young people, including those on free school meals and those who have no family history of going to university.”

Dickinson Dees will provide an agreed number of work experience places and the target for the scheme as a whole, is to provide 2,500 places by 2015.

Each placement will include 30 to 35 hours of work experience to develop key business and personal skills in areas such as oral and written presentation, networking and negotiation.

John Marshall, senior partner at Dickinson Dees, said: “When it comes to recruitment, Dickinson Dees has always worked hard to find the very best people to join our team. That’s just as important when providing work experience programmes, we want to make sure we attract the very best people, whatever their background. Prime will be an important way of helping us do that.”

Alan Milburn, former MP for Darlington, said: “The lack of social mobility in our society is not a problem that can be solved by any one organisation or any one sector. Sections of our society who play a part in the problem, and who have a stake in finding a solution, need to take collective responsibility and work together to provide meaningful solutions.

“The legal profession is a great example. If the cycle of unequal distribution of opportunity is to be broken, and the most talented people from all backgrounds are to be given a fair chance, the sector needs to act.

“And through the Prime programme this is what it is doing.”