Our Offering
Our Programmes
We know how important it is for prisoners to be able to gain essential skills and industry qualifications during their sentence in order to secure employment on release. Our holistic approach is proven to reduce reoffending and enable prison leavers to reintegrate into their communities.
Our Goal
Designed with the Coates Review in mind and closely aligned to the Government’s Prisons White Paper thinking, our programme encourages prison leavers and those in prison to develop the mindset needed to secure long-term employment and stable accommodation on release.
Inclusion and opportunity are at the heart of everything we do.
Digital, Self‑Paced Modular Learning
Although prison education courses are available to everyone in a traditional classroom setting, serving prisoners often find three‑hour lessons in a classroom daunting, preferring to learn at their own pace outside of the core working day. We have therefore designed all our courses to be digitally accessed on a laptop or tablet, in self‑paced, modular units.
Using our Learning Platform, a digital record of progress is automatically saved, which those in prison are always able to access through their secure wallet. This facility not only displays a prisoner’s grades but allows the secure storage and transfer of grades and educational attainment as the prisoner moves between prisons, without having to keep paper‑based records.
Certificates for all accredited courses can be digitally sent by prisoners to third parties.
Education for Employment on Release
Our aim is to ensure that those in prison are prepared for the world of work by equipping them with the skills, competencies and experience needed in their chosen career. We understand that prisoners will also need support with sentence planning and progression, so that they can ensure they are able to complete any academic and vocational training prior to release.
We have brought together a range of courses and services designed to assist prisoners in meeting this twin challenge. By upskilling with our Academy, a prisoner’s chances of employment whilst on ROTL and following release are dramatically improved.
Pathways™ And Citizens™ Programmes
For those serving prisoners who are accepted into our Pathways™ and Citizens™ Programmes there are several important benefits.
These programmes link the successful completion of our courses with a guaranteed offer of employment with a Sponsoring Employer and therefore the financial security to be able to afford suitable housing on release.
As membership can be applied for prior to course commencement, learners can be certain that successful completion of their chosen course will automatically result in the guarantee of an offer of employment with one of our Sponsoring Employers on agreed terms.
How It Works
The YCG Pathways Programme™ breaks down the barriers that learners face in securing employment by providing a fully managed recruitment and employment service to Sponsoring Employers.
Learners are able to gain full‑time, employer‑specific training whilst in custody or during Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL). This develops their experience in a real‑work environment for the Sponsoring Employer and allows them to evidence their attainment of core competencies and access employer-specific certifications.
The YCG Pathways Programme™ provides an invaluable resource to Sponsoring Employers, enabling them to meet their recruitment needs at scale and plan for future growth.
The YCG Citizens™ Programme provides a range of additional support to learners, including access to our referee services for third-party funding applications for courses.
Critical Thinking
We believe that all learners need to understand their motivations in setting their life goals and that is why the Chrysalis Philosophy is embedded into everything we do.
Our critical thinking skills courses are an invaluable resource to all learners but particularly those who would benefit from acquiring or enhancing additional strengths, or who need to demonstrate a reduction in their risk of serious harm to be able to transfer to a lower security category or to be released from custody.
Strengths-focussed support is therefore available to all YCG Citizens™ and serving prisoners to optimise their sentence planning and progression and avoid delays associated with lack of access to OMU and NPS programmes.
At The Heart OF It
Our Core Philosophy
The wider YCG Philosophy is based on the use of an integrated toolkit which ensures prisoners and prison leavers have the capacity to successfully reintegrate into society. We collaborate with our Justice Partners and stakeholders to ensure the key drivers of change are built into our work with prisoners.
Engagement
Education
Training
Employment
Accommodation
There is nothing about a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to become a butterfly