This marks the first-ever construction workshop within the women’s prison estate.
Procure Plus, a not-for-profit procurement company, has been working with the prison for the past two years, running introductory construction courses.
Now, they have succeeded in including construction in HMP Styal’s curriculum.
The programme will take the form of a 10-week property maintenance bootcamp.
(Image: Supplied) Beginning on November 25 later this year, the programme kicks off with a one-week Health and Safety and Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) training.
A ‘Meet the Employer’ event is scheduled for December 9, followed by nine weeks of practical property maintenance training starting on January 6.
Participants will gain hands-on experience in real construction tasks, actively working with tools and materials.
The focus is on applying 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.
“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 exciting; both for the prison and for the women themselves.”
The programme is funded by City & Guilds’ Training division and Procure Plus’ Foundation division.
Joinery tools were sourced from Jewsons, while the rest of the required equipment was funded by Procure Plus’ ‘Women and Manual Trades’ programme.
(Image: Supplied) Rosscom Training, B4Box, and HMP Styal will play key roles in delivering the course, fitting the workshop, and finding candidates for the courses.
Additionally, various Procure Plus construction partners are engaging to provide employment opportunities for the women.
Faiza Khan MBE, executive director, corporate affairs & foundation, 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.”
(Image: Supplied) 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.
“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.”
As a not-for-profit, any surplus generated by Procure Plus is reinvested directly into communities, helping train and develop individuals distanced from the employment market.
In addition to this scheme, over the last five years, Procure Plus has helped more than 2,500 people into work.