A procurement organisation has launched a pioneering training programme at HMP Styal, marking the first-ever construction workshop within a women’s prison.
Having built a strong partnership with HMP Styal over the last two years while running shorter “introduction to construction” courses, Procure Plus has supported the prison to be able to include construction on its curriculum.
The not-for-profit procurement company is offering a 10-week property maintenance ‘boot camp’. The training began with a one-week Health and Safety course and Construction Skills Certification Scheme training.
A ‘Meet the Employer’ event will take place later this month, followed by nine weeks of Property Maintenance practical training starting on 6 January.
During this time, participants will gain hands-on experience in real construction tasks. The focus is on actively working with tools and materials, allowing them to apply what they learn in a real-world setting, rather than just covering theory.
Lauren Nolan, prison employment lead at HMP Styal, said: “This will be the first-ever construction workshop within the female estate, which is a huge accomplishment for us as a prison and we are very grateful to Procure Plus for supporting us in implementing this.
“Female prisons typically deliver qualifications such as hair and beauty, and catering and hospitality; so, to have the opportunity to deliver qualifications and avenues into employment that move away from the more gender stereotypical opportunities and diversify our offer for the women in our custody is incredibly excitin, both for the prison and for the women themselves.
“This is only possible as a result of collaborative working over the previous two years, including successful ‘Have a Go days’, construction sector led jobs fairs, CSCS courses, and employment outcomes on both temporary license and release. The ongoing support and understanding of the needs of women leaving custody has been outstanding and has massively contributed to our successful outcomes. I personally look forward to seeing the increase in success stories following on from the upcoming bootcamps and look forward to developing this partnership even further.”
Procure Plus has secured funding from City & Guilds’ training division to fund the boot camp training course, while its foundation division provided the setup funds for the workshop. Procure Plus sourced joinery tools from its supplier Jewsons, and its ‘Women and Manual Trades’ programme funded the rest of the required equipment.
Procure Plus has brought together a strong partnership of organisations to deliver this programme, with Rosscom Training delivering the construction course, B4Box fitting the prison’s workshop, HMP Styal finding candidates for the courses, and a variety of Procure Plus’ construction partners engaging to provide employment opportunities for the women.
Faiza Khan MBE, executive director, corporate affairs and foundation at City & Guilds, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this programme, both through our training division and through our foundation. As we move into new training sectors, we aim to increase the range and availability of job-relevant skills for female learners within prisons, helping them to secure sustainable work after release.”
Mike Brogan, chief executive at Procure Plus, added: “This initiative is about reaching those furthest from the labour market and offering a real chance for change. With women making up only a small fraction of the construction workforce, it’s crucial that we create opportunities like this to challenge industry norms.
“The shorter courses have already led to great successes with former prisoners securing full-time roles on release, and also with current prisoners securing positions whilst working on ROTL (release on temporary licence).
“We hope this longer course will ensure the women develop valuable, employable skills whilst building their confidence to work within the construction industry either on ROTL or a job on release.
“At Procure Plus, we are committed to creating opportunities that deliver long-term social value, and we hope to see more workshops of this kind providing opportunities for women’s prisons across the country.”
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