A personalised skills assessment is to be made available in prisons and in the community to identify offenders who will benefit from a programme of employment-focused learning and skills training to reduce re-offending.

Under a new system - the 'campus' model - selected offenders will receive tailored information, advice and guidance and be offered a range of skills training after completion of their assessment.

Training could include literacy, numeracy, language and key skills, employer-led vocational skills, enterprise and self-employment training, work trials, work experience and voluntary work with skills training.

The East of England and West Midlands will be the first regions to trial the scheme.

Skills Minister Phil Hope said: “There is a “sea change” underway in the learning and skills on offer to offenders. Testing these innovative ideas to improve learning by offenders will significantly contribute towards improving skills and employment, and reducing re-offending, as outlined in our ambitious Next Steps document last year.”