Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Ministry of Justice
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Ministry of Justice

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Welcome to the Government’s offender skills and employment site. This site provides information on Government policy for the general public, journalists and researchers, and signposts further sources of information.

Offender skills and employment is a key contributor to the Government's Skills for Life and Skills Strategies,  and is a central part of the Ministry of Justice's action plan to reduce re-offending.

Re-Offending is costly to society, both in economic and social terms.  A re-offending former prisoner costs on average £65,000 to re-imprison, and £40,000 a year whilst they are in prison.  While punishment will always be a primary aim of the criminal justice system, the Government is determined to do more to turn offenders away from crime and into work, improving their skills, and encouraging them to lead productive lives.



Offenders Skills and Employment Latest

Offenders are your Business: Delivering Next Steps in Skills and Employment for Offenders

DIUS, in partnership with the LSC, NOMS and DWP, successfully held three practitioner conferences on offender skills and employment in Birmingham, York and London to showcase the range and quality of work carried out on this agenda.  Over 600 delegates attended with a total of 56 workshops delivered at the events, ran by partners from across government and its agencies as well as the private and third sectors.  There was particular focus on our primary customers - offenders and employers - with representatives of both also taking part in the workshops and interviews in the plenary sessions; and the three Ministers responsible for leading this work spoke and answered questions after taking part in the workshops – both David Lammy and David Hanson (MoJ) in York and London, and Stephen Timms (DWP) in Birmingham. 

Material and feedback gained from the conferences will be made available shortly.

Working in Partnership to Reduce Re-Offending and Make Communities Safer: A Consultation

The Learning and Skills Council publish 'Developing the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service: the Prospectus'.

Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS): A Brief Guide

A new booklet has been published by the Offenders Learning and Skills Unit (OLSU).  'OLASS: A Brief Guide' describes the substantial changes over the last few years in the way Education and Vocational Training is delivered in prisons and for offenders in the community, and sets out how the system now works.