Complete Skills Solutions’ Prison Education programme has been providing training to prisons across the country since 2019, aiding inmates to upskill and retrain while serving their sentence.
It has been seen that prisoners who take part in educational programmes while in prison are less likely to return to prison after release. Recent research conducted by the House of Commons Education Committee found that ‘Prison education and training plays a key role in changing lives and improving people’s futures, getting prisoners onto the ladder of opportunity. Research by the Ministry of Justice found that people who had participated in education while in prison were significantly less likely to reoffend within 12 months of release then those who had not by 7.5%.’ The research also highlighted government statistics showing that the opportunity of employment through their training in prison can reduce the chance of reoffending by up to 9% compared to those without a job. These statistics emphasize the importance of the work conducted by Complete Skills Solutions in prisons.
2023 saw the most successful year to date for the team, with a staggering 1000+ learners benefiting from training provided by Complete Skills Solutions, across 13 prisons, and boasting an incredible 97% achievement rate. The training was provided across a broad range of sectors including hospitality, sustainability and green energy, barbering and manufacturing, to name just a few.
Complete Skills Solutions’ Prison Education programme received a 100% outstanding feedback across the UK in 2023, an accolade we are honoured to receive. Our clients described Complete Skills Solutions as ‘a great quality service with professional staff who go beyond the service offering’, with one client stating Complete Skills Solutions ‘Listens to customer and learner needs, has a flexible approach in delivery. Most importantly they understand the demands of delivery in a prison environment, which are subject to change with very little notice.’
Ian Green, Managing Director of Complete Skills Solutions said:
‘I am extremely proud of the growth of our Prison Education programme over the last 5 years and the exceptional work delivered across the 2023-2024 academic year. To receive great feedback, not only about the quality of the training provided, but also about our exceptionally talented team, led by Lucy, is humbling but also a testament to the passion and drive that spearheads the work carried out by Complete Skills Solutions within prisons across the country. After a supremely successful 23-24, I am looking forward to working with colleagues as we continue to grow our Prison Education programmes with some exciting new training opportunities in the pipelines.’
Over the past 5 years, Complete Skills Solutions Prison Education has provided training for 69 contracts within 14 prisons. Since 1st April 2024, Complete Skills Solutions have confirmed 17 contracts, most recently commencing work in Wymott and Downview, and look forward to continuing to provide beneficial services and training to prisons across the UK.