The BBC reported this morning that the justice secretary is expected to say an overhaul of education in prisons is needed. He will be looking to deal with a “persistent failure to reduce reoffending” and believes that the employability of prisoners will be improved by helping them to become more numerate and literate.
Michael Gove – UK Justice Secretary. Image Source: Wikipedia
ITV News expects Mr Gove to describe the prisons as being ineffective at rehabilitating prisoners and that Britain’s failure to reduce reoffending rate is “horrifying”.
A welcome announcement
Learning Light welcomes Michael Gove’s expected announcement that learning and qualifications should play a major role in rehabilitating offenders.
Since 2009 Learning Light has been active in delivering blended learning and industry recognised qualifications into prisons and probation boards to enhance the work opportunities for offenders and those on probation to gain a career in the waste and recycling industry.
We are currently delivering a QCF level 2 diploma for Sustainable Recycling activities in several prisons where our tutors and assessors integrate with prison work activities to support the waste disassembly and recycling work undertaken in prisons.
Working in a prison in the North West this year we have delivered 142 QCF Level 2 Diploma for Sustainable Recycling Activities qualifications and have achieved a 97.2% retention rate (2.8% attrition), and from those registered with the awarding organisation a 100% completion rate.
The training course is modular and this allows the flexibility to work within prison regimes and is designed to provide an industry recognised qualification and gives the learner the ability to have an articulate conversation with a prospective employer and can evidence and demonstrate their knowledge and competency to do the job.
Stay Tuned
We’ll be staying closely tuned in to today’s developments and hope to see education and training play a much bigger role in the rehabilitation of offenders. Following the excellent offender engagement and results from our own work in UK prisons, we would expect more and better learning programmes in prisons to reduce reoffending and improve the job and reintegration prospects for the current and future prison population.
