Education and Work
Most people entering the Velocity Interoperability Network's custody have left education early and many have never held steady work. The Corrections Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network provides classes, vocational training and paid work in every establishment so that those it holds can leave with a qualification, a skill and the habit of a working day.
Every person received into custody has their education and skills assessed within ten working days of reception. Classes begin in every establishment on Monday 14 September 2026, and workshop and horticulture placements open on Monday 21 September 2026. Attendance is voluntary for those on remand and forms part of the sentence plan for those serving a sentence.
- 1,180
- Class places each week across the five establishments from 14 September 2026
- 96
- Education and training staff employed by the Department
- 12
- Maximum class size
- 5
- Days each week the library in every establishment is open
Classes. The timetable below applies from 14 September 2026. Classes are held in the education block of each establishment, with a library open on five days each week. Those who attend are paid at the same rate as those in a work placement.
| Establishment | Days | Sessions | Subjects | Places each week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northgate Custody Centre | Monday to Friday | 09:00–11:30 and 13:30–16:00 | Literacy, numeracy, secondary certificates, digital skills | 420 |
| Eastfield Remand Centre | Monday to Friday | 09:00–11:30 | Literacy, numeracy, language of the Network, digital skills | 240 |
| Westbrook Resettlement Centre | Monday to Thursday | 09:00–11:30 | Secondary certificates, digital skills, preparation for employment | 160 |
| Southbank Women's Centre | Monday to Friday | 09:00–11:30 and 13:30–16:00 | Literacy, numeracy, secondary certificates, digital skills | 240 |
| Meridian Young Adults Centre | Monday to Friday | 09:00–11:30 and 13:30–15:30 | Literacy, numeracy, secondary certificates, language of the Network | 120 |
Qualifications. The Department offers the qualifications below. Certificates record the qualification and the awarding body only; they do not record that the holder was in custody when the qualification was gained.
- Functional literacy and numeracy
- Assessed on reception and taught at three levels. Completion is recorded in the sentence plan and a certificate issued by the Department is recognised by the Education Department of the Network.
- Secondary certificates
- The secondary certificates of the Network in language, mathematics, science and humanities, examined twice yearly in June and November on the same papers and dates as schools of the Network.
- Vocational certificates
- Certificates in joinery, textiles, industrial cleaning, print finishing, horticulture and catering, assessed in the workplace by the Department's instructors and awarded on the completion of a portfolio and a practical test.
- Digital skills
- Use of the Network's identity, banking and public services, word processing and spreadsheets, and safe use of the internet, taught on a closed system within the establishment. Completion is a condition of release on temporary licence for work.
- Continuing study after release
- A person who has begun a course in custody may complete it after release through the Education Department of the Network, and the Department's resettlement staff arrange the transfer of records and enrolment before the release date.
Work and vocational training. Placements combine productive work with training towards a certificate. The workshops meet the needs of the Department's own estate, and the horticulture units and kitchens supply the establishments' meals. The placements below open on 21 September 2026 and together offer 640 places each week.
| Placement | Establishment | Output and qualification | Places each week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joinery workshop | Northgate Custody Centre | Furniture for the Department's estate; vocational certificate in joinery | 80 |
| Textile workshop | Southbank Women's Centre | Bedding and clothing for every establishment; vocational certificate in textiles | 60 |
| Industrial laundry | Northgate Custody Centre | Laundry for the Department's estate; certificate in industrial cleaning | 120 |
| Print workshop | Eastfield Remand Centre | Forms, guides and signage for the Department; certificate in print finishing | 40 |
| Horticulture unit | Westbrook Resettlement Centre | Vegetables and salad crops for the kitchens; vocational certificate in horticulture | 100 |
| Horticulture unit | Northgate Custody Centre | Vegetables for the kitchens and plants for the grounds; vocational certificate in horticulture | 60 |
| Kitchens | Every establishment | Preparation of three meals daily; vocational certificate in catering | 120 |
| Works and maintenance | Every establishment | Painting, minor repairs and grounds under supervision of works staff | 60 |
Every person in a placement is paid a weekly wage from which a proportion is saved in a release account. Hours are 08:30 to 11:45 and 13:30 to 16:30 on weekdays, with time for classes protected where the sentence plan provides for both. Health and safety in every workshop is inspected quarterly by the Department's works staff and forms part of the inspection of each establishment under the standards.
Persons at Westbrook Resettlement Centre who have completed the digital skills course may be released on temporary licence for paid work with employers of the Network in the final months of their sentence; the arrangements are described on the Release and Resettlement page. Employers interested in offering placements may write to contact@corrections.gov.vin.