The education, training and employment pathway
Lack of employment is one of the major factors associated with re-offending. There is a strong correlation between offending, poor literacy, language and numeracy skills, and low achievement and truancy at school. Many offenders have very poor experience of education and no experience of stable employment. The following objectives set out how NOMS is trying to address offenders' education, training and employment needs:
develop a learning and skills service as an integral part of the offender management process, to provide offenders with skills for life and improves their employability- use sentences to improve employment opportunities – e.g. arrange Fresh-start interviews and job searches, and set Education, Training and Employment Activity Requirements as part of the new sentencing framework
- develop strategies nationally, regionally and locally for engaging employers in providing jobs for ex-offenders
- put employability and employment at the heart of supervision in the community for every unemployed offender.
Developing an effective learning and skills service is central to the success of this pathway. The Offenders’ Learning and Skills Unit (OLSU), which was set up in 2001, supported by both NOMS and the Department for Education and Skills, has been leading the reform of the learning and skills service for offenders. A new service providing opportunities that are consistent with those on offer more widely in the community, and planned and funded through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is being established. Early achievements include securing basic skills qualifications for a large number of prisoners. This provided a solid basis from which to develop the new Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) planned and funded by the Learning and Skills Council.