Speedy Hire, the United Kingdom’s largest tool and equipment rental company is giving equipment maintenance training to prisoners at two prisons. Speedy is training more than 100 prisoners at HMP Garth and HMP Pentonville prisons in the repair and maintenance of tools and equipment according to OEM standards.
Speedy Hire worked closely with the HM Prison Service to develop workshops for prisoners, similar to the maintenance facilities at Speedy facilities.
Speedy hopes that trainees will find employment opportunities utilizing their new skills upon release from prison.
“Our suppliers are supportive of the scheme and a number have taken the time to go into the prisons and train prisoners on their specific products,” said Speedy’s U.K. workshops director Steve Palmer. “Due to the success of the trial, we are considering rolling out the scheme to other prisons across the U.K.”
Peter Delves, business account manager from HM Prison Service, said his agency encourages employer-backed rehabilitation projects because they help prisoners to focus on life after prison and be prepared with valuable skills. “The Speedy Hire training scheme has been extremely successful and is popular given its practical focus,” said Delves. “We’ve already placed some of our ex-prisoners in positions at Speedy Hire workshops and we are keen to extend the training to other institutions.”
