Home > News > November 2004 > 30-Nov-2004

ECDL project helps prisoners develop IT skills

PS Plus, a Prison Service initiative operating in over 41 UK prisons, is helping prisoners develop IT skills prior to their release. Under the scheme, prisoners who are within two years of their release date are being given the chance to study for the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) qualification. ECDL.

ECDL, which is available in over 130 countries, is managed in the UK by the British Computer Society (BCS).

The scheme is part-funded through the European Social Fund and designed to help prisoners leave prison equipped with the skills to deal with the workplace in which familiarity with standard IT packages is key.

Working closely with Electric Paper, a provider of online and local computer based training, assessment and testing materials, BCS and PS Plus had to overcome a number of issues to ensure the ECDL project could be implemented safely and securely. With no direct access to the internet or email, the common vehicles for the implementation of an ECDL programme, a simulated environment, complete with a virtual email package, was used to provide prisoners with a realistic user-experience.

Pete Bayley, director of qualifications for the BCS, commented, "Providing prisoners with the necessary skills to survive in an IT workplace is very important." Bayley added, "This implementation goes to show that the ECDL qualification is flexible enough to be used within any environment."

Mark Nickson, Director of ICT for PS Plus, said, "The ECDL qualification is increasingly becoming the expected and recognised standard within industry and it made sense to provide our students with the most relevant qualification. It has proved extremely popular with a high rate of students passing the ECDL."

Initially implemented in 12 prisons, the PS Plus programme has been extended to 25 and is expected to reach 41 prisons during the next stage of implementation.

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