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Production instructor

Teach a trade. Build a future.

Overview

Want to support people to learn new skills and help them improve their prospects? As a production instructor you’ll: 

  • run an on-site prison workshop 
  • play a key role in the prison service by engaging people in prisons in constructive activity and teaching them skills for life so they can find employment on release

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Things you need to know

As a production instructor (Band 3), you’ll: 

  • ensure the smooth running of the workshop 
  •  support prisoners to develop themselves by gaining new skills and find employment on their release

As part of our team, you’ll: 

  • supervise, train and motivate prisoners        
  • coach and support prisoners to develop new skills and themselves
  • create a safe and decent environment that supports prisoner rehabilitation
  • set work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements
  • ensure items prisoners produce meet specifications and quality standards (ISO9001 Standards)
  • follow all necessary security criteria of the prison or youth justice setting where you are based
  • complete administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop
  • contribute to health and safety risk assessments and ensure the health and safety of those you are supervising

This role does not involve training prisoners to gain qualifications.

We provide services to a range of sectors through our production workshops. You will supervise prisoners’ work and ensure goods meet specifications and quality standards.

Our production workshops complete important work for prisons and other custodial settings, such as. making breakfast packs for prisoners. 

We also complete work for range of external contracts, such as packing greetings cards, making Remembrance Day poppies and deconstructing goods. 

Region Prisons Band 3 Salary Band 4 Salary
Inner London Brixton, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs £30,137 £35,987
Outer London Belmarsh, Downview, Feltham, High Down, Isis £28,636 £33,506
National All other prisons £25,572 £30,471

Pension:
As part of the Civil Service pension scheme, you will receive a percentage of your salary based on your contributions and membership period for the pension scheme.

Annual leave:
You will receive 25 days paid annual leave, rising to 30 days after 10 years of service.

Civil Service benefits:

  • access to our cycle to work scheme
  • travel loans

To work as a  production instructor, you’ll need to:

  • mentor and coach prisoners to learn new skills 
  • be able to read drawings or plans and turn these into clear instructors
  • have some supervisory experience and be able to motivate an untrained workforce
  • be familiar with workshop safety practices

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of their background. Find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

You’ll need to:

  • provide an anonymised format CV. This helps us recruit based on your knowledge and your skills, rather than your background, gender, or ethnicity to ensure the process is fair
  • ensure your CV includes details of any relevant qualifications and experience
  • provide and several short written statements in your application
  • answer questions which outline your experience – tell us about any previous roles you’ve had or, if you are a recent college leaver, your college experience

The Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.