From classroom to career: The role of prison education in workforce re-entry
Adult Provision Novus Works
Studies show that prison leavers who find a job after release are less likely to reoffend, but with only 17% of prison learners being employed 6 months after release, ex-offenders are finding it hard to find and retain employment.
This is why at Novus we aim to equip all learners with education, qualifications, and employment support to ensure that they are ready to be successful members of society once released and have the knowledge and experience necessary to find long-term employment.
What are the benefits of prison education?
Types of prison education programmes
English, maths and digital skills
In order for learners to be successfully rehabilitated and find employment upon release, they need to have basic functional skills in English, maths and digital.
However, studies show “57% of adult prisoners have literacy levels below those of an 11-year-old”. English and maths are basic fundamental skills that you need to thrive in society and find employment. However, with many prisoners not having these basic skills, it becomes a challenge for them to navigate through daily life and poses a challenge for their successful rehabilitation.
Which is why at Novus, English, maths and digital skills are the fundamental pillars of our education programme, and we strive to ensure all learners leave prison with the qualifications needed to be successful upon release.
We deliver English and maths education in prisons from entry level to level 3 and provide opportunities to progress beyond that. The English and maths courses are open to all learners regardless of their skill or education level, and learners are assessed prior to the course starting, so that they can start on the level that is right for them.
Vocational and technical education
Our vocational and technical education provision includes:
- Vocational training programmes
- Short courses
- Taster courses
- Training workshops
- Experience-building opportunities
Our courses provide learners with industry-relevant skills and experience for their chosen career path so that they will be able to move into work or further training on their release.
We also offer a large variety of vocational training so that learners are given more opportunities to enter a career that they will enjoy and pursue upon release. We have developed a curriculum that is informed and co-designed by our partner employers, so our learners, and their future employers can be confident that they are gaining the relevant skills in their chosen career.
Examples of our vocational courses include:
- Bricklaying
- Plastering
- Horticulture
- Barbering
- Hair & Beauty
- Catering
- Painting and Decorating
Creative enrichment
According to research conducted by the Ministry of Justice, over 55% of prisoners in the UK, who serve sentences of less than 12 months will go on to reoffend. This is why encouraging prisoners into education is our biggest priority, to help reduce reoffending rates and to ensure learners are being successfully rehabilitated.
However, with many prisoners experiencing barriers to education from having neurodiverse needs, lack of confidence in themselves and having previous negative relationships with education, it can often be a struggle to engage them with education.
By creating new ways of accessing education through our creative enrichment strategy, we can support learners who often wouldn’t engage otherwise and encourage them to participate in other academic provision such as English and maths.
At Novus, we provide creative enrichment opportunities in a wide range of art provisions such as music, theatre, painting, and creative writing, all of which provide exciting opportunities for learners.
How Novus helps learners build practical skills
Through our technical and vocational provision, learners are able to develop practical skills that are transferable to a real working environment upon release. One of the biggest barriers to successful rehabilitation is not being able to find employment upon release. Equipping learners with the practical skills needed in their chosen profession ensures that learners will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to find employment upon release, and successfully reintegrate into society.
Thanks to the technical and vocational provision on offer, we have seen many learners find long-term employment opportunities upon release with some even staring their own businesses!
Business success for former HMP Styal learner
A former learner from HMP Styal, who served a 3-year sentence managed to turn her life around for the better, thanks to the education and employability support she received whilst in prison.
Whilst serving her sentence the learner took part in the education provision on offer, first attending English classes so she could get out of her cell during the day. Whilst attending lessons, the learner met Julie from Novus Works where they spoke about the learner’s future and employment prospects, where she expressed an interest in the beauty course and becoming a beautician upon release.
Shortly after her discussions with Julie, the learner requested to go into the Novus beauty salon, once accepted the learner worked hard and managed to achieve her Level 2 in a beauty course, a couple of months before she was released.
However, once released from prison the former learner lacked the confidence to pursue a career in the beauty industry, so instead decided to do some part-time work elsewhere. On her commute to work everyday she walked past a beauty salon, advertising botox and filler treatments. Intrigued by the treatments, the former learner decided to take part in further training so she could be qualified in doing further beauty treatments.
Once completing the training, the former learner decided to start doing beauty treatments on people locally, from the comfort of her home. Bookings came in fast, and the learner was able to move to a bigger home with a separate beauty room. She now runs a successful beauty business, thanks to the education and employability support, she received from Novus and Novus Works colleagues.
Employment opportunities in construction at HMP Thorn Cross
Recently, there has been employment success in the bricklaying provision at HMP Thorn Cross. Two learners have completed the VTU Brickwork course and have just started release on temporary license placements on construction projects with Wilmott Dixon. The learners will be on-site working on brick slips and injection pointing, with the possibility of full-time employment upon release.
How Novus helps learners overcome employment barriers
Finding employment opportunities as an ex-offender can be incredibly challenging for several reasons such as stigmas associated with a criminal record, lack of education, lack of employment support and poor mental health.
In order to break down these barriers so learners can find successful employment upon release, they need to be equipped with the qualifications, experience and knowledge needed to find long-term employment.
Employment support
As well as our education provision we also offer employment support for learners, either through our Novus Works team or by working with the Prison Employment Leads. Our experienced team provide an extensive range of related support to help learners develop the skills needed to find, apply and secure a job.
Our employment support includes:
- CV advice and guidance
- Job searching and application help
- Guidance on disclosure
- Interview preparation and performance
Working with partner employers
We also work with national, regional, and local employers to provide employment opportunities for learners upon release, giving our learners access to real job opportunities, apprenticeships and training upon release.
Working with Sodexo to provide more employment opportunities for learners
HMP Wymott learners had a visit from Sodexo who gave a presentation to learners around the opportunities within Sodexo as a career pathway. The event was organised by the Novus employment team at HMP Wymott and the Employment Resettlement Coordinator generated interest from learners.
Sodexo are a ‘Ban the Box’ employer and don’t discriminate against any offenses, taking each offense on a case-by-case basis. Upon learning this, learners were thrilled to know that their offences didn’t have to be a barrier to working.
The event at HMP Wymott started with an overview of who Sodexo are, the types of roles that are available, the potential for progression via apprenticeships and support. Emily, who works for Sodexo and gave the presentation to learners, also highlighted the key skills learners would need to work on whilst in custody, that would help them in a new career such as communication skills, teamwork, flexibility, reliability, and punctuality along with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn and progress. The event finished with a Q&A session giving learners the opportunity to find out more information as well as submitting their interest form and CV.
The event was a huge success, and the feedback from learners who attended the event was great, as they felt that the roles on offer were of value especially the apprenticeship programme and the possibility to progress within the company. All learners who participated in the event submitted their CVs and will be referred to Sodexo on their release from custody.
Supporting more learners into employment at HMP Humber
Since 2022, HMP Humber and the Novus Works team have been working with training provider Portull Training Ltd. and Humber Ports Labour Agency to support learners into employment at the Humber Docks upon release.
Prison leavers are advised to sign-on for Universal Credit, they then can do a variety of funded courses such as forklift operations, digger/excavator, crane operative, slinger/banksman etc. The advisor then refers the prison leavers to the Employment Agency Manager who interviews them, before arranging mandatory dock training.
The applicants can therefore go from release to training, interview and employment in as little as three weeks!
The partnership has been a real success with many prison leavers taking part in the process. There have been 14 interviews, 10 training outcomes with the courses either being forklift operations or mandatory dock operations courses, and 7 employment outcomes as dock labourers.
The working partnership between Novus, Portull Training Ltd. and Humber Ports Labour Agency has ensured that prisoners at HMP Humber, are going into employment a short time after their release. Through the short turn-around, former learners are able to support themselves financially in a matter of weeks, positively contributing to their rehabilitation and discouraging them from reoffending.
Novus Works
At Novus, our Novus Works team can act as the middle ground between our learners and employer partners, creating a bridge from education to employment.
For learners, Novus Works help to build confidence through interview practice and CV development, whilst on the employer end, Novus Works help pair prison leavers with local and national businesses and help minimise the resources required to secure talent.
Former HMP Low Newton learners finds employment upon release
A former learner from HMP Low Newton has successfully found employment upon release, after engaging with Novus Works and IAG employment support services whilst in prison. The learner, who had been in and out of prison many times and never engaging with employment services, was referred to Sarah Briton, Novus Works Coordinator via Louise from IAG. The learner expressed that she had recently given birth to her twins and was now ready to seek employment.
The learner was already engaging in the Novus education provision, completing four qualifications around food/hospitality and was determined to make something of herself. Sarah first invited the learner to an employment session in the education department which runs on Tuesday mornings supported by DWP and IAG, working closely with both the learner and her tutor, so that they could arrange a date for the learner to attend the employment session and not disturb her qualification.
The learner was able to attend an employment session in July and worked hard creating a CV and making plans for the future, she shared that she had not felt this way before. But having the babies in her life was more important than anything else. Through the employment session, she was fully engaged and making a genuine effort to change.
Upon her release, Sarah from the Novus Works team contacted Lynne from Greene King to see if there was an urgent opening for the former learner. There was an opening in the learner’s area, and she was offered an interview. Sarah also contacted Smart Works who provided interview clothing and a bus pass to the learner, who was thankful and agreed to attend the interview.
The interview was a success, and the learner was offered the job with Greene King. She was delighted to hear the good news and said that these are the first steps to the rest of her life.
How employers benefit from prison education
Employers can benefit from hiring ex-offenders in a variety of ways. According to research conducted by the Ministry of Justice “A third of businesses state that they are unable to address skills gaps, which is likely to have a knock-on impact on productivity and performance”. At Novus we teach learners a variety of industry level skills through our prison education provision with learners gaining professional qualifications in their chosen industry, meaning that employers can tap into this talent pool and resolve skills shortages.
Research conducted by Novus indicates that the majority of the UK believe companies that hire ex-offenders make a positive contribution to society, with 79% saying they would feel comfortable working with someone released in the last six months or less. Hiring ex-offenders goes beyond the direct impact to former prisoners and employers, it benefits society as a whole.
If you’d like to learn more or are interested in working with us to provide new and innovative opportunities to learners, contact us via our work with us page.
