Vocational education and training in Queensland correctional centres

Since 1995 accredited vocational education and training (VET) has been provided to prisoners in both public and privately operated Queensland correctional centres and a number of community custodial centres. Prior to that time vocational training delivered to prisoners was provided through a local arrangement between correctional centres and local 'providers'. All training was not necessarily accredited and in most cases did not provide participants with certification for the skills obtained. Nationally accredited VET and literacy education, delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) contracted by the Department of Employment and Training (DET), is now provided to prisoners. The Department of Corrective Services (DCS) and DET jointly fund this training. Through this process prisoners are able to participate in accredited VET which provides them with the opportunity to attain valuable employment skills and/or to gain credits towards numerous training programs upon release. In 1999 a review of the VET and literacy training being conducted in correctional centres was undertaken by the then Queensland Corrections (now the Department of Corrective Services). This paper provides an overview of the process for the delivery of VET and literacy to prisoners in the Queensland correctional system and includes a description of the model for the integration of VET into correctional industries being trialed at two of the correctional centres. The findings of the 1999 VET review and the resulting recommendations are also discussed.

Excerpts from printed abstract used with the permission of the copyright holder.

Volume one of these proceedings is indexed at TD/TNC 68.31, volume two is indexed at TD/TNC 68.32 and individual papers may be found from TD/TNC 68.17 to TD/TNC 68.29 and from TD/TNC 68.33 to TD/TNC 68.100 Show less