HMP Highpoint Launches Rail Engineering Apprenticeships To Reduce Reoffending And Address Skills Gap
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
A programme of railway engineering apprenticeships has been launched at Highpoint prison in Suffolk in partnership with The Co-operative Group retail and consumer services business and the City & Guilds Foundation.
These first two paragraphs add more detail.
From August, the training programme will allow prisoners to complete full apprenticeships and end-point assessments before release.
The initiative has been set up partly in response to Co-op members’ requests at its AGM for the business to focus on reducing re-offending and supporting prisoner rehabilitation. It is intended to give offenders the chance to earn a Level 2 qualification as Rail Engineering Operatives, with the aim that they can move straight into employment and into trackside roles on release.
I should say, that I know HMP Highpoint well, as it was close to where I lived in Suffolk and I had the occasional drink with some of the prison staff at a local pub. One even encouraged me to apply to be a member of the Internal Monitoring Board for the prison. Sadly, I had the stroke and was unable to follow it through.
I am all for this initiative, especially as it seems to offer employment on release. A similar train and employ policy doesn’t seem to have done Timpsons any commercial harm.
The only problem of running this course at HMP Highpoint, is that the prison, is not near a railway line.
In the selection process for the Internal Monitoring Board, I had a tour of the prison.
One member of staff, who ran a course on recycling told me that his course was the most popular in the prison.
- The main part of the course was about sorting rubbish into what can be recycled and what couldn’t.
- The course was popular, as most companies, who were involved in recycling, needed operatives who do this efficiently, so it helped getting employment on release.
It also had a big side effect, in that the prison was very clear of litter.
This course surely had similar objectives to the new Rail Engineering Operatives course and the Timpsons training.
We need more initiatives like this in our prisons.
The Anonymous Widower 