New digital taster courses for people in prison

This summer we took a bold step forward by launching seven digital taster courses funded by the HMPPS Digital Innovation Fund – giving people in prison a fresh way to explore and grow.

We teamed up with industry experts and people with lived experience to create courses with a gamified learning experience – exciting, practical and full of possibilities:

• Discover the joy of Reading for Pleasure with NEC
• Get moving with Cell Workout’s Health and Fitness
• Unwind with The University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness
• Level up with Inside Academy’s Digital Marketing and Social Media
• Learn workplace essentials through RRC International’s Health and Safety
• Dive into InHouse Records’ Music Production and Industry
• Explore sustainability and green living with TEC Wales’ Green Skills

If you support people studying in prison, please let them know about these courses – whether they’ve got some time in the evenings, want to try something new, or are looking to start independent learning but aren’t sure where to begin.

Here’s how learners can access our new taster courses:

1. Launch the Virtual Campus on your in-cell laptop and sign in with your username and password
2. Accept the user agreement: you’ll see a page labelled Virtual Campus User Acceptance Policy – General User Access. Click “Accept and proceed” to continue
3. Log in again (note: these credentials might differ from the first log-in)
4. Check your plan: once you see your plan page, you’ll know you’re in the right spot
5. Find courses in your wallet: click on your “wallet” on the top navigation bar and select “courses”
6. Choose your course: you’ll see a list of available courses, including the new PET ones. Pick a course that interests you, and dive right in!
7. Get started on your course: your progress saves automatically, so you can always pick up where you left off

If they have any questions or need advice, learners can speak to a member of our team for free on the PET Advice Line – they can call 0800 048 7520 on Tuesdays: 10am–12pm and 2pm–4pm and Thursdays: 10am–12pm and 2pm–6pm.

If you work in prison and have any questions or comments, please get in touch:

Phone: 020 3752 5680
Email: accesstolearning@prisonerseducation.org.uk
Post: Prisoners’ Education Trust, The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR

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