Correction Inmate Employment staff
upskill prisoners in crane operation
Corrections Inmate Employment Site Operations Manager David Morrison says the building industry is desperate for more crane operators and Immigration New Zealand has identified the role as one where there is an an immediate skills shortage in the greater Auckland region.
“This provided Corrections an opportunity to provide training to prisoners working in the Auckland Prison precast concrete yard with a meaningful qualification that they could use to find sustainable employment when they were released from prison,” says David.
As a result, five prisoners at Auckland Prison have now gained their National Certificate in tower crane operation after completing nine unit standards, a first aid course and 100 hours of crane time.
“One prisoner has even gained a National Certificate in Mobile Crane Operation, which required the completion of a further 100 hours operation of a mobile crane,” David says.
Since gaining their qualification, two of the prisoners have been released. One of them is now employed in the construction industry in Northland, while the other is considering two job offers in the industry.
David says this training is an example of Corrections’ new Prisoner Employment Strategy in operation. The strategy aims to provide prisoners with meaningful training and employment and aims to align employment-related training with regional skills shortages.
“Providing prisoners with meaningful employment is vital for the reintegration and rehabilitation of prisoners. Most prisoners have little or no education and limited work experience. Prisoner employment provides them with the skills, training and formal qualifications they need to find work on release from prison.
“Not only does prisoner employment increase the chance prisoners will find sustainable employment on release, research also shows this will result in a decreased number of prisoners being reconvicted.”
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ISSN 1178-8453