Department of Justice wins gold and bronze at national education and training awards

Media release
The Department’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration team recognised at peak event.
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Australian Training Awards

The Department has struck gold at the 2022 Australian Training Awards, the peak national event showcasing best practice in vocational education and training (VET).

Raising the Bar Behind Bars the Department’s Prisoner Traineeship Program, won the gold  in the Australian Apprenticeships - Employer Award category for helping improve employment prospects for prisoner trainees and apprentices.

The program has supported more than 4,775 prisoners in apprenticeships or traineeships and has a completion rate of 70 per cent.

Assisting prisoners to turn their lives around, the average starting salary for those who have completed the traineeships on release is $90,000.

The Making Tracks program, which opens training pathways for prisoners to help them prepare to enter or re-enter the workplace,  took out bronze in the Industry Collaboration Award.

Making Tracks is a collaborative industry training and employment initiative  designed to deliver VET  within prison that is relevant and appropriate to the needs of prisoners and the businesses that employ them.

Commissioner for Corrective Services Mike Reynolds applauded the Education, Employment and Transitional Services (EETS) team for their success. This work recognises the on the job training happening everyday in our prison industries.

“It’s great to see our services being recognised on a national platform,”  Commissioner Reynolds said.

“The work they do to help prisoners gain employment plays a significant role in reducing recidivism. Australian research shows that those prisoners who complete traineeships in prison have a 16% reduction in their return to prison rates”

Assistant Commissioner Rehabilitation and Reintegration Christine Laird said it was a privilege to lead a team that is passionate and driven to improve outcomes for people in custody.

“We’re proud to be recognised on a national platform,”  Assistant Commissioner Laird said.

“Our aim is to make sure as many prisoners as possible leave job-ready, confident and qualified to join the workforce.”

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