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The Employability Innovation Fund was announced in the Prisons Strategy White Paper to “enable Governors to work with more employers and training providers to repurpose workshops, deliver sector specific skills training to meet the changing needs of the economy and smooth the path from prison to employment."

As a result, His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is developing its academy delivery model within prison work and learning environments and is seeking to do so in partnership with more employers to deliver sector specific skills training to meet the changing needs of the economy and smooth the path from prison to employment.

We know that having a job to go to on release from prison can significantly reduce the chance of reoffending and employers can benefit from securing committed and skilled people to fill gaps in the UK economy.

HMP Academies are workspaces hosted by employers that have a clear emphasis on providing specialist vocational training and offer the prisoners participating in them significant skills development and employment opportunities that can significantly impact reducing re-offending rates. Whilst there are a small number already established in prisons, we want to do much more.

To achieve this, we have qualified a number of suppliers onto a framework for the provision of HMP Academy workspaces. Call offs can now be completed for specific prison workspaces.