Retailer teams up with City & Guilds in new initiative.
THE Co-op is to support the first Prisoner Apprenticeship programme to address rail skill shortages and reduce reoffending, in a partnership with the City & Guilds.
Through the Co-op’s Levy Share arm, it will support apprenticeships schemes for serving prisoners at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, with the intention of the apprentices going on to work in the rail sector.
The project has been developed in response to requests from Co-op members at its AGM to prioritise reducing re-offending and supporting rehabilitation. Reoffending costs the UK economy over £21bn a year—this initiative aims to break the cycle and boost the workforce.
From August, the new programme will allow prisoners to complete full apprenticeships and their end-point assessments before release, giving them the chance to earn a Level 2 qualification in Rail Engineering Operatives and move straight into employment and directly into track engineering roles on release.
Currently, around 80% of offending is reoffending. Reoffending places immense pressure on frontline services and traps thousands in cycles of custody.
Under the Co-op Levy Share, the Co-op and other employers can help support rehabilitation by transferring their unspent apprenticeship levy funds. Co-op Levy Share allows like-minded partners to pledge up to 50% of annual unspent apprenticeship levy funds and share them in a targeted way to support the provision of apprenticeship in underrepresented groups.
Recent data shows that if someone leaving prison is employed within six weeks of release, their likelihood of reoffending is cut by half.
Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at the 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.
Kirstie Donnelly, chief executive officer 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.
“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.”
The 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 0not only equips prisoners with hands-on, industry-recognised skills—it also gives them a real, tangible opportunity to build a better future on release.
