'Catering' to Digital Skills in Prison Education

As digital skills become ever more essential for accessing employment, Novus is embedding them into every layer of our prison education provision, from curriculum planning through to learner assessment. By demystifying technology and making digital learning a daily classroom reality, we are equipping learners with the tools that industries use, setting them up for success on release.

Employment is one of the strongest protective factors against reoffending, and building digital confidence and skills is increasingly the gateway to it.

Why digital skills matter in prison education

Nearly every modern workplace now expects a baseline level of digital literacy, whether that is navigating a till system, logging a stock order, booking a shift online, or following a recipe on a tablet.

For learners in custody, time away from everyday technology can widen the digital gap between them and their future colleagues. A short custodial sentence can still mean missing years of rapid change in apps, devices, and ways of working. Closing that gap sits at the heart of our digital skills in prison education work, and it starts in the classroom.

Digital literacy is foundational to employability, independence, and confidence after release, which is why we prioritise it right across our curriculum, from functional skills through to vocational training.

Learning on Screen in Hospitality and Catering training

In our Hospitality and Catering training at HMYOI Wetherby, Novus Digital Learning Technologists delivered more than six hours of Continued Professional Development (CPD) materials to the education team. The aim was straightforward: give tutors the confidence and the resources to weave digital tools into everyday lessons, rather than treating digital as a separate, bolt-on subject.

Paul, a Catering tutor at HMYOI Wetherby, was one of the first to put this into practice. Using the Learning on Screen platform, a trusted UK educational video service, he introduced health and safety regulations through short clips of real kitchen mistakes, including a brief segment from Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Learners were asked to spot the errors, explain what went wrong, and suggest the correct procedure.

The approach worked. Students who might have been quiet in a traditional lecture were suddenly offering answers, debating corrections, and asking follow-up questions. Using a recognisable chef as the starting point made the subject relatable, lowered the barrier to participation, and gave learners something concrete to anchor the theory to. Paul said:

I found it to be a wonderful tool which helped learners contextualise the theory that they've been learning. It was easy to work with and the quality of content was brilliant. The lads really got involved and were willing to answer follow up questions on what they'd learnt.

Following the trial, Paul planned to teach using digital tools at least once a week, and said he felt confident experimenting with other platforms. That kind of ripple effect, from one tutor trialling one tool to a weekly part of the timetable, is exactly how digital transformation takes root in the classroom.

The future of digital learning in prison education

Like most things in modern society, prison education is being reshaped by the power of digital tools. Education is no longer confined to textbooks and photocopied worksheets. Digital learning opens up dynamic new ways to engage learners, build confidence, and create pathways to rehabilitation, all without physical bounds.

By layering video, interactive tasks, and real-world examples into our education and training across both adult and youth provision, we can teach theory and application side by side. That is particularly powerful in vocational subjects like catering, where visual, practical context brings recipes, hygiene standards, and customer service to life. Video clips, digital quizzes, and interactive demos let learners rehearse judgement in a safe environment before they ever set foot in a live kitchen.

Digital Awareness Month 2023 at Novus

This case study formed part of our Digital Awareness Month 2023 campaign, during which Novus showcased how we were transforming prison education through the power of digital tools. Throughout May 2023, our teams highlighted how technology was central to so many things, including most careers, and why ensuring our learners were not left behind on digital skills mattered.

By integrating digital tools into our provision, we empowered learners to build the essential skills they needed for employment and life after prison. From interactive digital lessons to practical training, the campaign spotlighted engaging and relevant learning experiences delivered through our Digital Strategy and growing network of partnerships.

The work that began during that campaign continues to shape how we deliver prison education today. Digital literacy remains essential for creating pathways to brighter futures, and Novus is proud to stay at the forefront of innovation in this space.

Novus leading the way in prison learning

From our earliest Digital Awareness Month campaigns through to our current programmes, we have worked to shine a spotlight on the work carried out by our teams across the country. We continue to identify new ways of embedding digital skills education in every part of our provision, from basic functional skills to higher-level vocational training.

To find out how you can support our mission, visit Work with Novus, discover the partner employers helping our learners into jobs, or explore careers in prison education.