Women in Leadership: Claire from Hopkins Solicitors
Claire Lowe, personal injury solicitor at Mansfield-based Hopkins Solicitors
Through the Priority Skills for D2N2 SMEs project*, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access free bespoke, employer-led training, career coaching and advice to up-skill their employees in vocational and high-level technical skills.
NTU offer a free, 3-day course which is designed to help women in SMEs to develop their careers and their capability to manage and lead within their organisations.
Claire Lowe, personal injury solicitor at Mansfield-based Hopkins Solicitors
Hopkins Solicitors LLP offer a wide range of legal services to both individuals and businesses. Their head offices are in Mansfield, in addition to sites in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Nottingham.
Claire Lowe is a personal injury solicitor, pursuing claims for people who have been injured and suffered financial losses as a result of negligence, and describes her role as ‘helping people to put their lives back to what they were, as much as possible, with rehabilitation and financial support of compensation.
Claire spends her time meeting and advising clients, taking statements, arranging medical reports and drafting legal documents, attending court, and negotiating settlements.
In addition to this, Claire helps to manage the personal injury department, leading to her interest in NTU’s Women in Leadership course.
Claire first heard about the course from a partner at her firm who picked up details at a meeting of the Mansfield 2020 project. As an associate solicitor she had ambitions to progress her career at the firm by undertaking more managerial work and the course grabbed her interest immediate.
Claire says: “I was hoping to gain promotion at Hopkins Solicitors who are actively encouraging more women in the firm to progress to senior positions and allow for more diversity in the decisions they make.
“I was therefore looking for some guidance on the best way for me to progress and contribute to this diversity, and this course was ideal for that.”
Of the course itself, Claire was impressed with the opportunities and information provided.
“The quality of the teaching and support was outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting women in the same position as me, looking to progress further with their careers in all areas of business, not just my own.
“The classes were packed full of information - so many different areas of management and leadership were covered – and the format helped to keep things interesting. I walked away from each teaching day feeling inspired and motivated.
Looking ahead, Claire is positive about her future opportunities and is already looking to take the next step in her development.
“The course, assignments and coaching gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with my career.
“Since the course, I have been promoted to a Salaried Partner.”
Claire is now exploring options to continue her studies in management and leadership to help her develop even further.
Interested in signing up?
The Women in Leadership course is running a number of cohorts throughout 2020. You can register your interest and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss eligibility and suitable dates.
You can also contact us via any of the below channels:
- Email: wil@ntu.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)115 878 8899
- Twitter: @NTU_SME
- LinkedIn: SME Support at NTU
* The Priority Skills for D2N2 SMEs project is part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and is part of the High Level Skills programme. The programme is delivered by NTU as part of the High Level Skills consortium which also includes Derby College, Nottingham College, the University of Derby, and Nottingham City Council.
Supporting social mobility and widening participation
NTU is at the forefront of social mobility. The university recruits a quarter of its home undergraduates from households with a combined income of £15,000 or less, and has an impressive graduate employment rate. The university is a signatory to the Social Mobility Pledge, and is also a co-lead on a national centre to research and develop best practices for universities on how to improve social mobility.
The Priority Skills for D2N2 SMEs project is also committed to supporting local people from under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) people, people aged 50 and over, and those who have not had access to traditional educational opportunities. Our Women in Leadership course is a contributing factor towards this.