Fewer than ten prisoners have enlisted on an interdepartmental apprenticeship scheme, lauded at its launch to offer opportunities to 300 prisoners in England, an FE Week investigation can reveal.
Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request has found the Department for Education has missed its target by at least 90 per cent, after fewer than 10 people serving time in prison have started apprenticeships in England since long-awaited legislation was introduced in September 2022.
The DfE and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) offered apprenticeships to up to a hundred eligible prisoners across England in the first year of the pilot scheme. It’s expecting up to 300 prisoners to be recruited by 2025.
The data, provided by DfE, specified that fewer than five offenders are undertaking level 2 supply chain warehouse operative apprenticeships, and less than five are on level 2 production chef apprenticeships.
