A big break into prisons education

The Ministry of Justice has awarded global leaders in skills development, City & Guilds, contracts to be the exclusive provider of qualifications in English, Maths, Hospitality and Catering and Construction in prisons across England, becoming the only awarding organisation to win across multiple bid areas.

31 January 2018

The shift to a new single awarding organisation for qualifications delivered in prisons is aimed at enabling offenders to continue their learning without barriers as they move through the prison system. 

Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Managing Director at City & Guilds Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won these contracts. Unleashing people’s potential, regardless of their circumstances, is a common vision we share with the Ministry of Justice. 

“We will be working closely with key stakeholders over the coming months to ensure the new suite of qualifications equip prison learners with skills that truly meet the needs of employers and the wider communities and builds those critical core skills that will give them the best chance of success when they are released.”

Research done by the Ministry of Justice’s Data Lab in February 2017, demonstrated that Offenders who had enrolled on a City & Guilds qualification and gained certification within the year being analysed were less likely to re-offend, had a lower frequency of re-offences, and took longer to re-offend than those who had not.

Coming into effect in August 2018, City & Guilds’ new qualifications in English, Maths, Hospitality and Catering and Construction will range across a variety of levels.

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