Prisoners acquire new skills and gain qualifications through trade courses

Aim to get inmates 'work-ready' in time for their release

Serving inmates at the Isle of Man Prison are acquiring new skills and gaining qualifications through new accredited courses.

At the Isle of Man Prison’s Ellan Vannin Skills Centre, they are learning new trades to make them 'work-ready', all whilst giving back to the community.

It's after the prison achieved City & Guilds status earlier this year.

The training courses on offer currently include; bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, plastering and plumbing.

Suitably risk-assessed prisoners can also work in the community where they carry out projects under careful supervision.

Prisoners were recently praised by Douglas Rugby Club after a work party helped at the ground and clubhouse, preparing its campsite for the TT Festival. 

The team of prisoners, supervised by officers, helped the club with a number of maintenance and grounds-keeping jobs.

Meanwhile, in the prison’s gardens, repairs have been carried out as well as an expansion of the site.

24 prisoners are currently employed in the gardens.

They work hard to provide fresh food for the kitchens, and the prison also represented with entries at several horticultural shows.

Jon Dunne is the Building Skills Lecturer at the prison - he told Siobhán Fletcher more about the project:

Mr Dunne applied to Michelmersh Brick Specialists in West Sussex, which had an initiative to help community projects.

In turn, the company donated 10,000 bricks for the bricklaying course, which were brought to the Island by the Steam Packet Company, free of charge.

Manx Independent Carriers also agreed to charge a nominal fee to accept the delivery at its UK depot, load it onto the ferry and transport it to the prison in three loads.

Those who have provided support by donating materials, buying equipment, offering their services free of charge or at a discounted rate, helping with logistics to obtain materials and equipment include: His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and Lady Lorimer; Footprint Tools (Sheffield); Clio and Phil Swales; Isle of Man Steam Packet; Manx Independent Carriers; John Wannenburgh MHK; Kevin Wilkinson, Business Development Manager, City & Guilds; Debbie Reeve (Chief Officer) and Members of the Board of Construction Isle of Man; Michelmersh Brick Specialists; Tooms Building Contractors; Kevin Harold; Mike Kelliher; The Guild of Bricklayers; Liam Buckley; Richard Armitage; Will Brittles; The City of Liverpool College; Jane O’Rourke; Corina Jackson De-Botte; Balladoole Civic Amenity Site.