Computer Cables and a Prison Offenders

Offenders and ex-offenders widely feature in NIACE's work with adult learners.

Since managing the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) three year offender learning and skills e-learning programme, from summer 2006 to 2009, NIACE has focused on offenders and ex-offenders as a target group.

NIACE works with organisations to help reduce re-offending through skills and employment and has built up a pool of knowledge and experience within the sector.

On this page:

Offenders in prison

NIACE has funded projects and completed research focused on offenders in custody.

In prison, there are two ‘types' of education on offer:

  1. LSC funded Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) provision that is delivered by contracted providers within the prison
  2. ‘Out of scope' or ‘non-OLASS' provision that is delivered by prison staff. This tends to be more vocational

There are also other interventions that present opportunities to direct offenders towards education. For example, the Careers Information and Advice Service (CIAS) activities that were formerly known as IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance).

In 2006, NIACE managed the LSC funded ‘E-Enabling Offender Learning and Skills' (EEOLS) project which encouraged prisons and other organisations working with offenders, to make more effective use of technology in their delivery.

Offenders in the community

NIACE has also managed LSC funds for projects that work with offenders in the community.

It is offenders and ex-offenders in the community that perhaps engage with most NIACE projects and initiatives, without our knowledge, as they are not obliged to ‘disclose' their criminal record. This is why it is important that the offender learning theme is included or considered in all of NIACE's work.

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