Marvin OnumonuCo-op has teamed up with City & Guilds Foundation to launch the UK’s first rail engineering apprenticeships at HMP Highpoint.
The scheme starts in August and aims to help fill rail skills shortages and cut reoffending by giving prisoners a chance to earn a Level 2 rail engineering qualification before release.
The programme came after Co-op members asked at its annual general meeting (AGM) to focus more on reducing reoffending and supporting rehabilitation.
It means prisoners can complete their apprenticeship and assessment inside, then go straight into a track engineering job when they leave custody.
Co-op’s levy share gathers unspent apprenticeship levy funds from Co-op and other employers to fund apprenticeships for underrepresented groups. Employers can pledge up to half of their unspent levy each year.
The goal is to support rehabilitation and provide more opportunities for people leaving prison.
Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at Co-op, said: “At Co-op, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to build a brighter future – for themselves and for their communities.
“Our partnership with City & Guilds Foundation demonstrates the transformative power of targeted training, employment, and genuine opportunity.
“It is great that through our levy initiative we can invest in people and equip them with skills that are in high demand, not just reducing reoffending but also helping to tackle critical skills shortages in the UK rail sector, strengthening the fabric of society.”
Costello added: “We’re inviting other businesses to join us in pledging their unspent levy – helping to create more second chances and build a more inclusive workforce across the UK, whilst delivering lasting benefit to communities nationwide.”
Kirstie Donnelly, CEO at City & Guilds, said: “At City & Guilds we have a deep understanding of the power of skills to change lives.
“Apprenticeships have long been one of the most effective ways to gain quality skills and sustained employment, and I am delighted with some of the outcomes already achieved through quality training in the prison estate.
“Current programmes delivered through the Centre of Excellence skills hub model are achieving employment outcomes 2.5 times higher than the national average, with significantly more prisoners securing work within six months of release.”
Donnelly added: “When people in custody can access training that leads to meaningful work, they are far less likely to reoffend and instead can contribute to their community – rather than costing it – on release.
“By using the apprenticeship levy flexibly, we can support innovative apprenticeships and reach a whole talented but untapped workforce – one we will need if we’re going to deliver on the ambitions of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and opportunity missions – and meet the growing skills gaps in key industries.
“We hope this is just the start of realising the transformative impact of apprenticeships on the prison system, and our society as a whole will be a safer and more productive place as a result.”
Governor of HMP Highpoint Nigel Smith, said: “This is a truly exciting and positive initiative, and we’re proud that HMP Highpoint is the first site to host the new rail engineering apprenticeship scheme.
“This programme not only equips prisoners with hands-on, industry-recognised skills—it also gives them a real, tangible opportunity to build a better future on release.
“By linking training directly to employment in a critical sector like rail, this scheme helps break the cycle of reoffending and supports safer communities.”
