Case study: Clayton Utz Lawyers

“You really do get a personal reward from seeing people taking advantage of an opportunity and helping themselves”. So says Peter Stokes, National Projects Co-ordinator, Records Management for leading Australian law firm Clayton Utz.

“It’s a two-way street” says Peter, “we work with the trainees on their coursework, and plan the modules around upcoming projects so it’s relevant to them. But it also means our trainees are able to contribute more meaningfully to the work of the department.”

Clayton Utz currently hosts three trainees employed through WorkVentures’ Group Training Organisation under their traineeship program. WorkVentures work closely with host employers wanting to appoint trainees. It screens and interviews candidates and is able to match trainees to host employers based on ability and attitude, dovetailing with Clayton Utz' recruitment and performance management processes.

Once a trainee is placed with an organisation, WorkVentures monitors their studies as well as offering support and guidance to help with the trainee’s transition into what can be a daunting new experience for a young person. The program is focused on securing a nationally recognised Certificate that complements the trainee’s work experience, significantly improving their future individual prospects and playing a key role in addressing future skill shortages in Australia.

According to Andrew Johnson, Senior Recruiter for Clayton Utz, it’s much more efficient for them to use WorkVentures to source trainees than directly recruiting.

“We found we had a relatively high turnover of entry level positions, with a number of staff leaving after a short period,” says Andrew. “We thought that traineeships would help us keep staff longer, because they get a qualification at the end of twelve months. Plus the trainees are on WorkVentures’ books, rather than ours. As well as saving us a lot of time and cost during recruitment, WorkVentures takes care of all of the paperwork once the trainee is on board.”

The fact that WorkVentures can assist Clayton Utz in recruiting, administering and retaining entry level employees, combined with the quality of the trainees that WorkVentures selects, is a key attraction for Clayton Utz. According to Mark Glaze, Business Development Manager for WorkVentures, the current success demonstrates how beneficial the traineeship program can be for firms in the legal profession, across both specialist and non-specialist support areas. “Traineeships can help to create a larger, more flexible talent pool, with the assurance of the required standards of skill and performance, when driven by an experienced Group Training Organisation and a supportive host employer”.

John Kirk understands this. As Clayton Utz Print and Mailroom Manager, he has had a lot of experience managing trainees. “Within an organisation like Clayton Utz, there are a lot of professional staff who are highly qualified, and for a young person in this environment, gaining a qualification can be a big morale booster and it can set them on the path to further learning.

“Although the trainees are officially employed by WorkVentures, we treat our trainees the same as our other staff,” continues John. “That way they may see a career path for themselves either within our firm or a similar organisation. Our current trainees are keen, they are self-motivating and have a strong work ethic, so our role is to provide them with challenges and get them to think and solve problems.”

For more information about how a traineeship can help your business, call us on (02) 9275 8199 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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