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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:39 pm
Time: 8:39 pm
Results for vocational education and training (northern irelan
1 results foundAuthor: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspectorate Title: Learning and Skills provision by the Northern Ireland Prison Service Summary: Criminal Justice Inspection (CJI) and the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) have longstanding concerns about the quality and impact of the Learning and Skills provision for prisoners in Northern Ireland. This report summarises the main issues and proposes a solution that requires consideration by the Department of Justice and the Department for Employment and Learning. While there are some pockets of excellent and innovative practice, Inspectors have raised concerns about the outdated curriculum offer, information technology deficits, generally low levels of participation and attendance, the often poor library provision, regime restrictions including frequent class cancellations and the adverse impact of industrial action on education classes. These and other inadequacies mean that learning outcomes for prisoners are often poor; as a result, many of them become frustrated and disengage with the provision. The education and skills deficits are significant. Data provided by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) shows that over 60% of prisoners are below the minimum required level in their essential skills of literacy and/or Introduction CHAPTER 1: numeracy. Despite this, too few prisoners are being helped to address their deficits and are therefore not being adequately prepared to compete for employment on release. The extent of vocational skills provision offered in each prison is both limited and dated, and too little of it is provided at the level required by employers, namely Level 2. The vocational provision is particularly poor for women and younger prisoners, while Open University students need to be especially resilient in order to sustain and complete their programmes of study. Within the context of poor outcomes the NIPS Learning and Skills provision also represents poor value for money: the 2011–2012 budget is £5.1 million. The most current evidence comes from inspections at HydebankWood (March 2011), Magilligan (March 2010) and Maghaberry (January 2009) Prisons, plus follow-up visits undertaken by ETI and CJI in September 2011. It comprises discussions with prisoners, managers and staff, analysis of documentary evidence, including a draft internal review of the NIPS Learning and Skills provision, the annual self-evaluation reports provided by each Learning and Skills department across the prisons, and internal assessments of Information Technology (IT) provision. There has been some progress such as the appointment of some new Heads of Learning and Skills; the establishment of an Activity and Scheduling Office in Maghaberry Prison in July 2011 “to improve the coordination and delivery of resources to all prisoners…” which was beginning to raise the profile of learning and skills; good, well-established partnerships with the Open University and the NorthWest Regional College (NWRC); and the high levels of commitment and enthusiasm by individual Heads of Learning and Skills, teachers and instructors. However, none of these steps have yet been able to address sufficiently the fundamental failings. ETI and CJI concerns are amplified in the three sections below – Strategy, Delivery, and Outcomes. These are followed by supporting evidence from the previous inspections and the findings of the Prison Review Team which reported in October 2011. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/2a/2ab943de-df2e-4240-8c7e-bffb08178df7.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/2a/2ab943de-df2e-4240-8c7e-bffb08178df7.pdf Shelf Number: 124584 Keywords: Correctional Education (Northern Ireland)Prisoners (Northern Ireland)Vocational Education and Training (Northern Irelan |