Each of the Professional Groups at Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) works with associate development "Blueprints" that are customized for the group's area of practice. The Blueprint's objective is to provide each associate with a detailed plan of the skills and experiences expected at various stages-from first year through admission to partnership.

The format of the Blueprint mirrors BLG's three-dimensional training strategy by identifying three streams of skills and experiences:

• substantive knowledge
• practice skills
• client skills

Each Blueprint is a living document that will be updated and refined on a continuous basis.

In order to identify experience gaps for work allocation purposes, Mentors meet with their mentees from time to time to review their actual work experiences against the skills and experiences on the Blueprint.

The Blueprints are also used by the Professional Excellence Team to identify training needs and to focus future professional development initiatives.