How Soft Skills Are a Fundamental Part of Life After Prison

At Novus, we know that after learners have been released, reintegrating into society presents numerous challenges. In order to be successfully rehabilitated, securing stable employment is extremely important for individuals to reintegrate into society and become positive members of the community.

Whilst having functional knowledge and technical skills are essential to finding employment upon release, learners must also develop so-called 'soft skills', such as communication and teamwork, whilst in prison in order to successfully reintegrate into society. These are skills that cannot be built overnight, which is why our education and training programmes for learners in custody are designed to weave them into every part of the curriculum, from vocational workshops through to creative enrichment.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills refer to the traits and behaviours that relate to how well an individual can work and interact with others. They are not specific to a particular job type, but they help employees excel in any workplace. Examples include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and creativity.

Their importance is only growing. According to Forbes reporting on LinkedIn's 2025 skills analysis, by 2030, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change, with AI reshaping what employers expect from candidates across nearly every industry. In that environment, uniquely human skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and adaptability are becoming more valuable, not less. Soft skills are not just an add-on to a CV; they are increasingly the deciding factor in whether someone gets hired, keeps a job, and builds a stable life.

Why soft skills matter for employment and social integration

Finding employment is about more than having the right qualifications and technical skills. In order for learners to find long-term employment and succeed in their role, they also need transferable skills that will positively contribute to their performance. The National Soft Skills Association, citing research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Centre, found that 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills, with technical knowledge and hard skills accounting for only 15%.

Offering education, training, and enrichment opportunities for learners to develop these skills not only helps them find employment upon release, but also helps them develop the communication and social skills they need to successfully reintegrate into society.

The stakes are high. According to the latest Ministry of Justice proven reoffending statistics, the overall proven reoffending rate stands at 28.9%, rising to 56.6% for those serving sentences of less than 12 months. Employment is one of the most powerful protective factors against returning to custody, and soft skills are the foundation that makes employment sustainable.

Developing soft skills in a prison setting

For many learners, building soft skills in custody requires overcoming significant barriers. Disrupted school histories, low confidence, and complex personal circumstances can make structured learning feel difficult or irrelevant. Simply offering qualifications is not enough. Our adult prison education provision is tailored to meet learners where they are, using vocational training, creative enrichment, and employer engagement to build the full range of skills that life after prison demands.

Novus programmes for developing soft skills

Education, training and enrichment

At Novus we offer a variety of education courses, training, and workshops which all positively contribute to the development of learners' soft skills. Each element of our provision is designed not just to deliver a qualification, but to build the behaviours and habits that carry into the workplace and into daily life.

Vocational training

Providing learners with industry-relevant, technical, practical skills and experience for their chosen career path means they can find employment or further training upon release and build a positive future.

Through vocational training and workshops, learners also have the opportunity to develop specific soft skills such as adaptability, communication, and time management, which positively contribute to their overall skill set. Vocational training offers learners the unique opportunity to develop and refine their soft skills in a work environment and tailor them for a professional setting. Employers want candidates who can do the job on day one, but they also want people who can communicate clearly, show up reliably, and work well with others. Vocational training at Novus builds both.

Creative enrichment

Our creative enrichment provision is integral to our curriculum, especially for engaging learners who do not participate or who struggle to participate in other forms of education. Creative enrichment is crucial in allowing us to embed new and innovative ways of delivering education across the entire curriculum, including vocational subjects, maths and English, along with more traditional creative subjects. Our creative enrichment programmes not only engage learners in education, but they also help to improve their soft skills, encouraging them to develop crucial social and interactive skills that will benefit them upon release.

• Engagement and motivation: creative activities capture learners' interest and motivation, further engaging them in education and making the learning process more enjoyable.
• Critical thinking skills: a key benefit of creative enrichment is that there are no right answers; learners can explore, question, and analyse information from different perspectives. Art encourages learners to solve problems in ways that they would not normally consider, and those approaches can then be transferred to everyday life.
• Self-expression and communication: creative enrichment provides a platform for learners to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. This not only enhances their communication skills, but also promotes self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
• Collaboration and teamwork: many creative activities involve collaboration, encouraging learners to work together, share ideas, and appreciate other perspectives. This not only enhances social skills but also prepares learners for collaborative work environments.
• Cultural Capital: when entering prison, many learners have limited Cultural Capital, meaning their initial learning experiences may have been disadvantaged due to their background. Through our creative enrichment programmes, we are able to provide additional, enriched learning experiences to support learners and broaden their experiences of culture, encouraging them to become well-rounded members of society.

Success stories and outcomes

Working with employer partners to support learners into employment

At Novus, supporting learners into employment upon release is integral to their rehabilitation journey. If learners are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to find employment upon release, they are less likely to reoffend. HMP Low Newton recently had a visit from Mott MacDonald to support the employment provision at the prison. A team of project managers delivered a session to six female learners, focusing on helping them identify and develop their soft skills in preparation for future employment. This visit was facilitated collaboratively by Sarah, our Novus Works Resettlement Coordinator, and IAG provider, Acron, and forms part of our wider work with employer partners who help us create real and meaningful routes into employment.

The session was well received, leaving learners feeling positive and uplifted, with encouraging feedback including: "Sharing information about everyone's goals and listening to how to use soft skills was good."

Working with the Bowes Museum to provide more opportunities for learners

The Bowes Museum worked with Novus learners and colleagues at HMP Deerbolt on their project 'Unheard Voices', bringing together writing practitioners and learners to creatively engage with artwork from the exhibition 'Kith and Kinship: Cornish and Lowry'. Through a combination of discussions, activities, creative writing, and visual literacy exercises, the project aimed to deepen learners' understanding and connection to the exhibition whilst enhancing their creative writing skills.

The project empowered learners to produce unique interpretations of the exhibition, offering fresh perspectives for peers, families, tutors, and general visitors. The result was a creative Zine, which served as an alternative interpretative voice for the exhibition.

At Novus, we are dedicated to providing learners with creative enrichment opportunities that extend beyond traditional academic provision. By exposing learners to different cultures and communities through projects like this, we allow them to expand their knowledge, understanding, and tolerance of others. Creative enrichment projects also give learners from different cultures and communities the chance to engage in education in a safe, understanding, and welcoming environment, helping them share their stories through a positive outlet.

Join Novus in building a brighter future

Soft skills are crucial for anyone starting fresh after prison, helping them to unlock better job opportunities and successfully integrate back into society. At Novus, we facilitate skills for progression and career pathways through personalised education provision, making a real difference in the lives of those re-entering society.

Whether through vocational training, creative enrichment, or employer engagement, everything we deliver is designed to build the full set of skills that employers need and that life after prison demands. To learn more about how Novus helps learners succeed, take a look at our latest news or get in touch with our team.