PRISONERS ARE TO BE OFFERED APPRENTICESHIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Reform to allow ex-prisoners to be offered apprenticeship opportunities. A step in the right direction.

Currently prisoners are unable to take advantage of apprenticeships, which would give them access to gold-standard training they can gain the skills needed to secure work on release – with evidence showing that prison leavers in work are significantly less likely to re-offend. Polling published last year found that nine out of ten businesses that hire ex-offenders say they are reliable, good at their job, punctual and trustworthy. The government will now change the law so that prisoners at open prisons across England are able to apply for apprenticeship opportunities in vital industries, including hospitality and construction , providing direct routes into jobs with businesses in the community. The scheme will initially be offered to up to a hundred prisoners across England before being rolled out across the wider prison estate. The scheme will see hundreds of prisoners start an apprenticeship by 2025, with pre-apprenticeship training offered to thousands more – preparing them for a full apprenticeship scheme or a higher skilled job on release.

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