Procure Plus and City & Guilds partner to empower women in prison

A pioneering training programme is set to launch at HMP Styal, marking the first-ever construction workshop within the women’s prison estate.

Having built a strong partnership with HMP Styal over the last two years whilst running shorter “introduction to construction” courses, Procure Plus has supported the prison to be able to include construction on their curriculum.

The market-leading not-for-profit procurement company will offer a ten-week property maintenance bootcamp. The training will begin with a one-week Health and Safety course and Construction Skills Certification Scheme training starting on 25^th November.

A ‘Meet the Employer’ event will then take place on 9^th December, followed by nine weeks of Property Maintenance practical training starting on 6^th January.

During this time, participants will gain hands-on experience in real construction tasks. The focus is on actively working with tools and materials, allowing them to apply what they learn in a real-world setting, rather than just covering theory.

Lauren Nolan, Prison Employment Lead at HMP Styal.

“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 & beauty, and catering & hospitality; so, 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.

“This is only possible as a result of collaborative working over the previous 2 years, including successful ‘Have a Go days’, Construction sector led jobs fairs, CSCS courses, and employment outcomes on both temporary license and release. The ongoing support and understanding of the needs of women leaving custody has been outstanding and has massively contributed to our successful outcomes. I personally look forward to seeing the increase in success stories following on from the upcoming bootcamps and look forward to developing this partnership even further.”

Procure Plus has secured funding from City & Guilds’ Training division to fund the bootcamp training course, while its Foundation division provided the setup funds for the workshop. Procure Plus sourced joinery tools from its supplier Jewsons, and its ‘Women and Manual Trades’ programme funded the rest of the required equipment.

Procure Plus has brought together a strong partnership of organisations to deliver this programme, with Rosscom Training delivering the construction course, B4Box fitting the prison’s workshop,  HMP Styal finding candidates for the courses, and a variety of Pocure Plus’ construction partners 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.”

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.

“The shorter courses have already led to great successes with former prisoners securing full-time roles on release, and also with current prisoners securing positions whilst working on ROTL (release on temporary licence).

“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.

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About City & Guilds 

City & Guilds is the preferred brand and route for skills. We have been fulfilling our charitable purpose since 1878, by advancing skills for people, organisations, and societies.

With 5.1 million learners worldwide, we understand the life-changing link between skills development, social mobility, prosperity, and success. We champion vocational and technical training routes and collaborate with industries and government to campaign for improvements across the global skills landscape.

We work with over 1500 employers to deliver high-quality skills training and credentials, both in person and online, that meet the changing needs of industry and skills challenges. We deliver qualifications and awards to thousands of colleges and training providers across the globe, creating end-to-end solutions and improving learner skills and productivity. City & Guilds courses have contributed £15.3bn to society in the UK alone.

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