Co-op launches groundbreaking prisoner scheme

The Co-op has introduced a pioneering prisoner apprenticeship scheme, the first of its kind aimed at addressing skills shortages in the railway sector. In collaboration with City & Guilds, the programme will provide guaranteed employment opportunities to participants. The Level 2 Rail Engineering Operative apprenticeships will be conducted at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk. Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at the Co-op, commented: “It is great . . . we can invest in people . . . reducing re-offending but also helping to tackle critical skills shortages.”