The government has unveiled plans to help reduce re-offending by improving training and education to help offenders into jobs when they leave prison. The plans are outlined in a Green Paper: Reducing Re-Offending through Skills and Employment, launched by the DfES and DWP on December 15. The strategy is focused on reducing reoffending through improving the skills of offenders, working in partnership with employers and providers of high quality training.
The plans draw on the success of National Grid’s employer-led initiative, the Offender Training and Employment Programme, which is recording a re-offending rate of just 7% among the former prisoners it employs.
Key proposals include a stronger focus on jobs, with more relevant skills training, designed by and responding to employers needs. Work and Pensions secretary John Hutton said: “Work is the best way to reduce reoffending. That is why we will be developing and testing new approaches to intensive work-focused support – and engaging employers in the design and delivery of programmes”. Contact Sarah Newth National Grid 07866 488 894 www.nationalgrid.co.uk; DfES 0870 000 2288 www.dfes.gov.uk
Improving HSE
The BAE Systems site in Newcastle is to take part in a pilot project with the Health and Safety Executive in the North East of England to help achieve high standards of workplace health and safety. BAE and HSE have developed standards for six key subjects on which they plan to work together over the next two years, three of which are priorities for BAE Systems in the particular work they do, while the remaining three are major causes of injury throughout the UK. Deborah Allen, BAE Systems’ director for corporate responsibility said: “Maintaining high standards of safety performance is a key priority for our business. We welcome this opportunity to work more closely with the HSE to drive further improvements. We look forward to the challenge their expertise will bring and we view this as a catalyst for accelerating change”. Contact BAE Systems www.baesystems.com
Skills up
UK businesses need to increase spending on staff training if they want their staff to measure up in basic skills, a recent National Audit Office report reveals. Employers’ perspectives on improving skills for employment, published on on December 14, suggests that firms need to focus on lower level training, rather than A-level or equivalent standards, which it says are often too high. Despite spending of £23.7bn on education and training by employers in the public and private sectors, one in five firms say they have skills gaps in their workforce, costing £10bn a year in lost productivity. The report recommends that the government work closely with employers to tailor programmes so they fit regional and skill specific problems. Contact National Audit Office www.nao.org.uk
in brief
Microsoft has launched Technology, Innovation and Initiative, a technology skills partnership to train at least 3000 unemployed textile workers in Portugal, with the Technological Centre for the Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal. Contact Microsoft www.microsoft.com
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